The Letni Theatre, which operated between 1870 and 1939, was one of the most distinctive places on the cultural map of Warsaw. Located in the Saxon Garden, the wooden theatre building was designed by Aleksander Zabierzowski and was originally constructed as a temporary stage in connection with the reconstruction of the Grand Theatre. The building was burnt down in September 1939 during hostilities and was never rebuilt.
The Summer Theatre seated 940 spectators and was characterised by excellent acoustics and a large stage whose dimensions matched those of the Grand Theatre. This made it possible to use the same decorations, which greatly facilitated the production of performances. Although the theatre was very popular, it was not without its critics – the building was known for its draughts, which affected the comfort of the audience.
The 1880s Source: Mazovia Digital Library
Even after the reconstruction of the Grand Theatre was completed, the Summer Theatre continued to operate, offering dramatic performances, operettas, farces and ballets from June each year. In 1890, the theatre was adapted for year-round use and the auditorium was enlarged to around 1,000 seats, increasing its accessibility and functionality.
The Letni Theatre also went down in the history of Polish cinema. Between 31 March and 2 April 1902, the theatre building hosted pioneering screenings of Polish films, organised by the Pleograph Share Society founded by inventor Kazimierz Prószyński. The programme included films documenting everyday life in Warsaw, such as “Slide in the Swiss Valley” and “Traffic in front of the Mickiewicz Monument”.
A fragment of the Saxon Garden, the Summer Theatre in 1935 and the same place today. Source: mapa.um.warszawa.pl
Until 1915, the building was also the home of the Little Theatre farce company. From 1921 to 1923, after the premises of the Variety Theatre burned down, the Summer Theatre hosted its drama company. From 1921, the theatre was managed by the General Directorate of Municipal Theatres and then by the Society for the Promotion of Theatre Culture.
The theatre building was burnt down in September 1939 during the bombing of the capital, but the memory of it has not been lost. In 2014, a replica of the Summer Theatre was created in the Miniature Park of the Mazovian Voivodeship, which reminds us of its former glory and importance for Warsaw’s culture.
Source: spacerownikteatralny.pl, teatrohotel.pl
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Warsaw | Culture | Wood | Interesting facts
