Today is my birthday

TodayIsMyBirthdayisaverystronglyautothematicworkinwhichKantorreturnedtotheunrelentingmemoriesofwar,friendsandfamily.ItwasthefirsttimethatKantorreferredsoclearlytohispaintingsinhistheatre.It’sworthmentioningthatintheendofthe80sheworkedmainlyonfigurativepainting,creatingmostlyself-portraits.　　Inmid-1989,TadeuszKantorstartedworkonaperformancewhichhecouldnotattend.HediedinKrakówon8thDecember,1990,afteroneofthelastrehearsalsofthisplay,whichwaseventuallyfinishedbytheCricot2theatre.ThepremiereshowingsofthisFrench-German-Italianco-productiontookplaceinToulouseandParisinJanuary1991.　　Premiere:10.01.1991r.,ThéâtreGaronne,Toulouseand21.01.1991r.,CentreGeorgesPompidou,Paris.　　ThepremieretookplaceafterKantor’sdeath.ZofiaWięcławówna,achoreographerwhousedtoworkwithKantorplayedamajorroleinpreparingthestaging.　　Theroomintheplayisnotjustwherethescenetakesplace,butit’stheartist’sworkshopatSienna7.Thespacebetweenpaintings’frameshasbeenfilledwithsimplefurniture:atable,anironheater,asinkandanartist’sdesk.Nexttoitthere’safoldingchairandastool.Onthetable,nexttoankerosenelampandtwoteacups,there’saphotographfromthebelleepoque.ItisofHelenaandMarianKantor,StanislawBergerandanunknownwomanwithblurredface.TheartistinvitedhisMother,Father(togetherwiththeIndividualwhostolehisface),UncleStaśandVicarŚmietanafromWielopoletohisworkshopontheoccasionofhis75thbirthday.AlsoinvitedwereTravellingActors,charactersfromoldplays.Alsoinattendance:PoorGirl,Velazquez’Infanta,DrKlein–Jehova,NosiwodafromWielopoleandthenewspaperdeliverymanfrom1914.Friendsarrived:MariaJarema,JonaszSternandWsiewołodMeyerhold.OnlytheOwnerofthePoorRoomofImaginationwasmissing.HisShadowappearedinstead.OnthechairwasasignwithKantor’sname.Fromthespeakeronecouldheartheartist’svoice.Actorswerelyingonthestage,wrappedupingrayblanketsashumanemballages.Theeventwasinterruptedbyhistory’sclichés:membersofNKWD,PeopleofPowerwiththeirusualattributes:guns,cannons,atank,apolicecar.SternintonedataleaboutbeingsavedfromAnnihilationandaletterfromMeyerholdtoMolotov,pleadingforstayofexecution,wasread.TheactorscarriedoutthetabletoptothesoundofBeethoven’sEroica.