A Visit to Poland and the Arlekin Puppet Theatre in Łódź

By Felice Amato

Figures suspended over the street in front of the Arlekin Puppet Theatre. Photo by author.

I was recently at a conference in the Czech Republic and took the opportunity to visit Poland with my daughter Eva. It wasn’t meant to be a puppet trip. Also, since it was late summer, I knew that it wasn’t an ideal time to see performances or find people at home in Europe. Nevertheless, puppets are always a touchpoint in my travels, so I was open to seeing what I could find. In the end, I enjoyed Poland immensely, discovered fascinating things, and now know there is much more to explore in the future. 

At the start, Eva and I spent a few wonderful days in Kraków where we visited the Museum of Ethnography, which is not to be missed. In addition to faithfully reconstructed rooms and thoughtful exhibits where objects’ taught us about people’s lives, we encountered a stunning collection of extravagant szopki puppet theaters, described as “a fusion of flamboyant castle, nativity scene, glamorous marionette theatre and playground for political satire” (see Nativity scene (szopka) tradition in Krakow and The The Marvellous Christmas Tradition of Poland's 'Szopki' | Article | Culture.pl). Related but distinct from the Ukrainian vertep and the Belarusian betleika, the tradition continues each December in Kraków.

 a stunning collection of extravagant szopki puppet theaters