Die Jakobsbücher

Direction: Ewelina Marciniak

Teatr Powszechny, Warsaw

German premiere

“The Books of Jacob” focuses on Jacob Frank, a Polish Jew and leader of the mystical 18^th-century movement of Frankists. While some revered him as a religious guide and messiah, others decried him as a charlatan and heretic. Frank fought for the freedom and emancipation of eastern European Jews, advocating for modernisation in a rapidly changing world. His life story is told by his followers and enemies who create a vivid, polyphonic tableau of a world in crisis.

Director Ewelina Marciniak brings Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk’s monumental novel to the stage. Marciniak’s opulent style is as much acclaimed as it causes scandals in her conservative home country Poland. Her visually stunning production offers a radical plea for a modern Europe that celebrates diversity, freedom, equality, and community.