{"id":14749,"date":"2024-11-21T18:54:21","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T17:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/?p=14749"},"modified":"2025-04-08T16:52:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T14:52:23","slug":"books-of-jacob-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"The Books of Jacob at La MaMa\u2019s CultureHub \/ Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Friday, December 6 \u2013 Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 1 PM<\/strong><br><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lamama.org\/\">La MaMa<\/a><\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lamama.org\/rentals\/downstairs-theatre\">The Downstairs Theater<\/a><\/strong><br>66 East 4th Street, basement level New York, NY 10003<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lamama.org\/shows\/books-of-jacob-part-ii-2024\">The Books of Jacob<\/a><\/strong><br>story by Olga Tokarczuk<br>directed by Krzysztof Garbaczewski<br>Tickets are free, but please<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.ovationtix.com\/trs\/pr\/1212541\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RSVP<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/s96ZNffMIA4\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>La MaMa, CultureHub, and the Polish Cultural Institute NY present&nbsp;<em>The Books of Jacob<\/em>. In this quantum, Kabbalistic, VR spectacle, the story of Jacob Frank comes to life simultaneously in seven locations around the world in a synchronized performance happening in New York, Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Greece. Actors performing on physical stages in each country and on a digital stage in virtual reality, capture a world on the brink of change as they animate the story of a young Jew in the &nbsp;18th-century who experiences ecstatic visions travels across the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, meeting heretical condemnation one moment and messianic recognition the next.&nbsp;<em>The Books of Jacob<\/em>&nbsp;is a live performance that audiences can experience in-person in each country or online in VRChat. Audiences at La MaMa will have the opportunity to put on a VR headset and experience the production digitally, as well as from their seat where the virtual environment will be projected and layered into the scenography. The digital performance network activated as part of this project transforms how theater is experienced and &nbsp;expands the theater\u2019s global reach. Through La MaMa, CultureHub, and Dream Adoption Society\u2019s global outreach, teams of artists and theater groups in different parts of the world are connected in a VR environment. Real-time translation services and subtitles in the virtual environment facilitates this multilingual production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Garbaczewski&#8217;s project draws from Nobel prize-winning Polish author Olga Tokarczuk\u2019s epic historical novel&nbsp;<em>The Books of Jacob<\/em>. Garbaczewski was first drawn to the book while incorporating metaphysical texts into his theatre practice, especially those of Jewish&nbsp;messianic thinker Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank \u2013 the 18th Century man who claimed to be Sabbatai Zevi reincarnated.&nbsp;Tokarczuk\u2019s novel takes on the perspectives of Jacob\u2019s followers and others who witnessed his establishment of a transformative religious movement against the kaleidoscopic backdrop of Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, and Greece. Despite its power in 18th Century Europe, Jacob\u2019s movement has largely been forgotten by European history. Struck by Jacob\u2019s ideas and their relevance to today, Garbaczewski is motivated to explore the work as a multiplayer virtual reality experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"16838\" src=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub-Male-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub-Male-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub-Male-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub-Male-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub-Male.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:19px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"16841\" src=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16841\" srcset=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_3.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"16839\" src=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_2-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16839\" srcset=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_2-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_2-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_2-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_2-1.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The source material lends itself to the project, which is dependent on collaboration across fields, aesthetic disciplines, languages, and geographic locations.&nbsp;<em>The Books of Jacob&nbsp;<\/em>provides a fascinating panorama of many cultures inhabiting and mixing through centuries. The characters transcend their traditions to collaborate on a new system of thought. The text mirrors the project\u2019s mission to combine CultureHub and Dream Adoption Society\u2019s resources to create new systems of making and experiencing art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Photos by L\u00edvia S\u00e1, courtesy of CultureHub<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/garbaczewski.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14764\" style=\"width:461px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/garbaczewski.png 800w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/garbaczewski-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/garbaczewski-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krzysztof Garbaczewski<\/strong>&nbsp;(b. 1983 in Bia\u0142ysk, Poland) Theatre director, author of adaptations serving as the basis of his so-called theatre installations, which combine performance, visual arts and music. His trademark collage\/syncretic style, the use of video projections and live transmissions are related to our contemporary cyber-sensibility. Garbaczewski\u2019s spectacles address the most important existential matters and search for liminal experiences. The director stages unobvious juxtapositions, for instance by situating the Romantic protagonists of Juliusz S\u0142owacki\u2019s Balladyna a genetics laboratory. He also confronts the question of contemporary Polish identity. A graduate of the Faculty of Theatre Directing and Dramaturgy at the Ludwik Solski State Theatre School in Cracow. Honoured with numerous awards, such as the \u201cPassport\u201d award of Polityka weekly. Krystian Lupa\u2019s assistant in Factory 2 at the Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre in Cracow (2008). He debuted with Elfriede Jelinek\u2019s A Sport Play in Opole (2008). His adaptations include The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Polski Theatre in Wroc\u0142aw, 2009) and Kronos by Witold Gombrowicz (Polski Theatre in Wroc\u0142aw, 2013). Director of the spectacles Odyssey (Jan Kochanowski Theatre in Opole, 2009), The Sexual Life of Savages (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw, 2011), The Death Star (Jerzy Szaniawski Dramatic Theatre in Wa\u0142brzych, 2010), Balladyna (Polish Theatre in Pozna\u0144, 2013) and The Sky of Stone Instead of Stars (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw, 2013). Often collaborates with Aleksandra Wasilkowska on stage design. Garbaczewski also staged Victory Over the Sun (Grand Theatre \u2013 National Opera, 2014), The Tempest (Polski Theatre in Wroc\u0142aw, 2015) and Hamlet (Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre in Cracow, 2015).&nbsp;In June 2016 Garbaczewski directed Robert Robur based on an unfinished novel by Miros\u0142aw Nahacz Robert Robur&#8217;s Incredible Adventures \/ Niezwyk\u0142e przygody Roberta Robura, published two years after the author&#8217;s death. Garbaczewski transfers dystopian reality, created by the writer to the world of media and virtual reality. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year, Garbaczewski staged Feast (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw). In 2017 he directed Plato\u2019s \u201cSymposium\u201d at Nowy Theatre in Warsaw, Reymont\u2019s \u201cThe Peasants\u201d at Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw, and Wyspa\u0144ski\u2019s \u201cLiberation\u201d at Studio Theatre in Warsaw. In 2018 he directed \u201cNietota\u201d and \u201cNew Territory\u201d at Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw. He also directed \u201cMiron Bia\u0142oszewski\/ Allen Ginsberg VR\u201d in New York at The Performing Garage. In 2018 he also initiated an artistic collective&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dreamadoptionsociety.com\/\"><strong>Dream Adoption Society<\/strong><\/a>,&nbsp;an artistic collective based in Warsaw, focused on virtual and augmented reality in the context of theater, performance and contemporary art exploring new technologies to create immersive, performative experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8222;The Books of Jacob&#8221; is presented by La MaMa in partnership with The Polish Cultural Institute New York and CultureHub. The Books of Jacob was developed in La MaMa and CultureHub&#8217;s Experiments in Digital Storytelling Program, which is generously funded by the NEA and Radio Drama Network. This performance has been made possible through generous support from Trust for Mutual Understanding.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"972\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/05\/Screen-Shot-2023-05-04-at-1.50.44-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/05\/Screen-Shot-2023-05-04-at-1.50.44-PM.png 972w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/05\/Screen-Shot-2023-05-04-at-1.50.44-PM-300x40.png 300w, https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/05\/Screen-Shot-2023-05-04-at-1.50.44-PM-768x101.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 972px) 100vw, 972px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Friday, December 6 \u2013 Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 1 PMLa MaMa,&nbsp;The Downstairs Theater66 East 4th Street, basement level New York, NY 10003 The Books of Jacobstory by Olga Tokarczukdirected by Krzysztof GarbaczewskiTickets are free, but please RSVP. La MaMa, CultureHub, and the Polish Cultural Institute NY present&nbsp;The Books of Jacob. In this quantum, Kabbalistic, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":202,"featured_media":16840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,15,11,204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-literature","category-performing-arts","category-polish-jewish"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Books of Jacob at La MaMa\u2019s CultureHub \/ Part II - Instytut Polski w Nowym Jorku<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"pl_PL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Books of Jacob at La MaMa\u2019s CultureHub \/ Part II - Instytut Polski w Nowym Jorku\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Friday, December 6 \u2013 Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 1 PMLa MaMa,&nbsp;The Downstairs Theater66 East 4th Street, basement level New York, NY 10003 The Books of Jacobstory by Olga Tokarczukdirected by Krzysztof GarbaczewskiTickets are free, but please RSVP. La MaMa, CultureHub, and the Polish Cultural Institute NY present&nbsp;The Books of Jacob. In this quantum, Kabbalistic, [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Instytut Polski w Nowym Jorku\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-21T17:54:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-08T14:52:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"stypulkowskaa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Napisane przez\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"stypulkowskaa\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Szacowany czas czytania\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minut\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"event\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/\",\"name\":\"The Books of Jacob at La MaMa\u2019s CultureHub \/ Part II\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":[\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg\",\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5-300x200.jpg\",\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5-1024x683.jpg\",\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg\"],\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-21T17:54:21+02:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-08T14:52:23+02:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#\/schema\/person\/c732b2695ee92026d080eec35471c7f1\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"pl-PL\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/\"]}],\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"startDate\":\"2024-12-06\",\"endDate\":\"2024-12-08\",\"eventStatus\":\"EventScheduled\",\"eventAttendanceMode\":\"OfflineEventAttendanceMode\",\"location\":{\"@type\":\"place\",\"name\":\"\",\"address\":\"\",\"geo\":{\"@type\":\"GeoCoordinates\",\"latitude\":\"\",\"longitude\":\"\"}},\"description\":\"Friday, December 6 \u2013 Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 1 PMLa MaMa, The Downstairs Theater66 East 4th Street, basement level New York, NY 10003\\nThe Books of Jacobstory by Olga Tokarczukdirected by Krzysztof GarbaczewskiTickets are free, but please RSVP.\\nLa MaMa, CultureHub, and the Polish Cultural Institute NY present The Books of Jacob. In this quantum, Kabbalistic, VR spectacle, the story of Jacob Frank comes to life simultaneously in seven locations around the world in a synchronized performance happening in New York, Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Greece. Actors performing on physical stages in each country and on a digital stage in virtual reality, capture a world on the brink of change as they animate the story of a young Jew in the  18th-century who experiences ecstatic visions travels across the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, meeting heretical condemnation one moment and messianic recognition the next. The Books of Jacob is a live performance that audiences can experience in-person in each country or online in VRChat. Audiences at La MaMa will have the opportunity to put on a VR headset and experience the production digitally, as well as from their seat where the virtual environment will be projected and layered into the scenography. The digital performance network activated as part of this project transforms how theater is experienced and  expands the theater\u2019s global reach. Through La MaMa, CultureHub, and Dream Adoption Society\u2019s global outreach, teams of artists and theater groups in different parts of the world are connected in a VR environment. Real-time translation services and subtitles in the virtual environment facilitates this multilingual production.\\nGarbaczewski's project draws from Nobel prize-winning Polish author Olga Tokarczuk\u2019s epic historical novel The Books of Jacob. Garbaczewski was first drawn to the book while incorporating metaphysical texts into his theatre practice, especially those of Jewish messianic thinker Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank \u2013 the 18th Century man who claimed to be Sabbatai Zevi reincarnated. Tokarczuk\u2019s novel takes on the perspectives of Jacob\u2019s followers and others who witnessed his establishment of a transformative religious movement against the kaleidoscopic backdrop of Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, and Greece. Despite its power in 18th Century Europe, Jacob\u2019s movement has largely been forgotten by European history. Struck by Jacob\u2019s ideas and their relevance to today, Garbaczewski is motivated to explore the work as a multiplayer virtual reality experience.\\nThe source material lends itself to the project, which is dependent on collaboration across fields, aesthetic disciplines, languages, and geographic locations. The Books of Jacob provides a fascinating panorama of many cultures inhabiting and mixing through centuries. The characters transcend their traditions to collaborate on a new system of thought. The text mirrors the project\u2019s mission to combine CultureHub and Dream Adoption Society\u2019s resources to create new systems of making and experiencing art.\\nPhotos by L\u00edvia S\u00e1, courtesy of CultureHub\\nKrzysztof Garbaczewski (b. 1983 in Bia\u0142ysk, Poland) Theatre director, author of adaptations serving as the basis of his so-called theatre installations, which combine performance, visual arts and music. His trademark collage\/syncretic style, the use of video projections and live transmissions are related to our contemporary cyber-sensibility. Garbaczewski\u2019s spectacles address the most important existential matters and search for liminal experiences. The director stages unobvious juxtapositions, for instance by situating the Romantic protagonists of Juliusz S\u0142owacki\u2019s Balladyna a genetics laboratory. He also confronts the question of contemporary Polish identity. A graduate of the Faculty of Theatre Directing and Dramaturgy at the Ludwik Solski State Theatre School in Cracow. Honoured with numerous awards, such as the \u201cPassport\u201d award of Polityka weekly. Krystian Lupa\u2019s assistant in Factory 2 at the Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre in Cracow (2008). He debuted with Elfriede Jelinek\u2019s A Sport Play in Opole (2008). His adaptations include The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Polski Theatre in Wroc\u0142aw, 2009) and Kronos by Witold Gombrowicz (Polski Theatre in Wroc\u0142aw, 2013). Director of the spectacles Odyssey (Jan Kochanowski Theatre in Opole, 2009), The Sexual Life of Savages (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw, 2011), The Death Star (Jerzy Szaniawski Dramatic Theatre in Wa\u0142brzych, 2010), Balladyna (Polish Theatre in Pozna\u0144, 2013) and The Sky of Stone Instead of Stars (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw, 2013). Often collaborates with Aleksandra Wasilkowska on stage design. Garbaczewski also staged Victory Over the Sun (Grand Theatre \u2013 National Opera, 2014), The Tempest (Polski Theatre in Wroc\u0142aw, 2015) and Hamlet (Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre in Cracow, 2015). In June 2016 Garbaczewski directed Robert Robur based on an unfinished novel by Miros\u0142aw Nahacz Robert Robur's Incredible Adventures \/ Niezwyk\u0142e przygody Roberta Robura, published two years after the author's death. Garbaczewski transfers dystopian reality, created by the writer to the world of media and virtual reality.  \\nThis year, Garbaczewski staged Feast (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw). In 2017 he directed Plato\u2019s \u201cSymposium\u201d at Nowy Theatre in Warsaw, Reymont\u2019s \u201cThe Peasants\u201d at Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw, and Wyspa\u0144ski\u2019s \u201cLiberation\u201d at Studio Theatre in Warsaw. In 2018 he directed \u201cNietota\u201d and \u201cNew Territory\u201d at Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw. He also directed \u201cMiron Bia\u0142oszewski\/ Allen Ginsberg VR\u201d in New York at The Performing Garage. In 2018 he also initiated an artistic collective Dream Adoption Society, an artistic collective based in Warsaw, focused on virtual and augmented reality in the context of theater, performance and contemporary art exploring new technologies to create immersive, performative experiences.\\n\\\"The Books of Jacob\\\" is presented by La MaMa in partnership with The Polish Cultural Institute New York and CultureHub. The Books of Jacob was developed in La MaMa and CultureHub's Experiments in Digital Storytelling Program, which is generously funded by the NEA and Radio Drama Network. This performance has been made possible through generous support from Trust for Mutual Understanding.\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"pl-PL\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":1000},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Books of Jacob at La MaMa\u2019s CultureHub \/ Part II\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/\",\"name\":\"Instytut Polski w Nowym Jorku\",\"description\":\"Instytuty Polskie\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"pl-PL\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#\/schema\/person\/c732b2695ee92026d080eec35471c7f1\",\"name\":\"stypulkowskaa\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"pl-PL\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a29bb1802c91e057084d5d112dd59dc4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a29bb1802c91e057084d5d112dd59dc4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"stypulkowskaa\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/author\/stypulkowskaa-2\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Books of Jacob at La MaMa\u2019s CultureHub \/ Part II - Instytut Polski w Nowym Jorku","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/","og_locale":"pl_PL","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Books of Jacob at La MaMa\u2019s CultureHub \/ Part II - Instytut Polski w Nowym Jorku","og_description":"Friday, December 6 \u2013 Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 1 PMLa MaMa,&nbsp;The Downstairs Theater66 East 4th Street, basement level New York, NY 10003 The Books of Jacobstory by Olga Tokarczukdirected by Krzysztof GarbaczewskiTickets are free, but please RSVP. La MaMa, CultureHub, and the Polish Cultural Institute NY present&nbsp;The Books of Jacob. In this quantum, Kabbalistic, [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/","og_site_name":"Instytut Polski w Nowym Jorku","article_published_time":"2024-11-21T17:54:21+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-08T14:52:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"stypulkowskaa","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Napisane przez":"stypulkowskaa","Szacowany czas czytania":"7 minut"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"event","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/","url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/","name":"The Books of Jacob at La MaMa\u2019s CultureHub \/ Part II","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/#primaryimage"},"image":["https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg","https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5-300x200.jpg","https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5-1024x683.jpg","https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg"],"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg","datePublished":"2024-11-21T17:54:21+02:00","dateModified":"2025-04-08T14:52:23+02:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#\/schema\/person\/c732b2695ee92026d080eec35471c7f1"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"pl-PL","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/"]}],"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","startDate":"2024-12-06","endDate":"2024-12-08","eventStatus":"EventScheduled","eventAttendanceMode":"OfflineEventAttendanceMode","location":{"@type":"place","name":"","address":"","geo":{"@type":"GeoCoordinates","latitude":"","longitude":""}},"description":"Friday, December 6 \u2013 Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 1 PMLa MaMa, The Downstairs Theater66 East 4th Street, basement level New York, NY 10003\nThe Books of Jacobstory by Olga Tokarczukdirected by Krzysztof GarbaczewskiTickets are free, but please RSVP.\nLa MaMa, CultureHub, and the Polish Cultural Institute NY present The Books of Jacob. In this quantum, Kabbalistic, VR spectacle, the story of Jacob Frank comes to life simultaneously in seven locations around the world in a synchronized performance happening in New York, Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Greece. Actors performing on physical stages in each country and on a digital stage in virtual reality, capture a world on the brink of change as they animate the story of a young Jew in the  18th-century who experiences ecstatic visions travels across the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, meeting heretical condemnation one moment and messianic recognition the next. The Books of Jacob is a live performance that audiences can experience in-person in each country or online in VRChat. Audiences at La MaMa will have the opportunity to put on a VR headset and experience the production digitally, as well as from their seat where the virtual environment will be projected and layered into the scenography. The digital performance network activated as part of this project transforms how theater is experienced and  expands the theater\u2019s global reach. Through La MaMa, CultureHub, and Dream Adoption Society\u2019s global outreach, teams of artists and theater groups in different parts of the world are connected in a VR environment. Real-time translation services and subtitles in the virtual environment facilitates this multilingual production.\nGarbaczewski's project draws from Nobel prize-winning Polish author Olga Tokarczuk\u2019s epic historical novel The Books of Jacob. Garbaczewski was first drawn to the book while incorporating metaphysical texts into his theatre practice, especially those of Jewish messianic thinker Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank \u2013 the 18th Century man who claimed to be Sabbatai Zevi reincarnated. Tokarczuk\u2019s novel takes on the perspectives of Jacob\u2019s followers and others who witnessed his establishment of a transformative religious movement against the kaleidoscopic backdrop of Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, and Greece. Despite its power in 18th Century Europe, Jacob\u2019s movement has largely been forgotten by European history. Struck by Jacob\u2019s ideas and their relevance to today, Garbaczewski is motivated to explore the work as a multiplayer virtual reality experience.\nThe source material lends itself to the project, which is dependent on collaboration across fields, aesthetic disciplines, languages, and geographic locations. The Books of Jacob provides a fascinating panorama of many cultures inhabiting and mixing through centuries. The characters transcend their traditions to collaborate on a new system of thought. The text mirrors the project\u2019s mission to combine CultureHub and Dream Adoption Society\u2019s resources to create new systems of making and experiencing art.\nPhotos by L\u00edvia S\u00e1, courtesy of CultureHub\nKrzysztof Garbaczewski (b. 1983 in Bia\u0142ysk, Poland) Theatre director, author of adaptations serving as the basis of his so-called theatre installations, which combine performance, visual arts and music. His trademark collage\/syncretic style, the use of video projections and live transmissions are related to our contemporary cyber-sensibility. Garbaczewski\u2019s spectacles address the most important existential matters and search for liminal experiences. The director stages unobvious juxtapositions, for instance by situating the Romantic protagonists of Juliusz S\u0142owacki\u2019s Balladyna a genetics laboratory. He also confronts the question of contemporary Polish identity. A graduate of the Faculty of Theatre Directing and Dramaturgy at the Ludwik Solski State Theatre School in Cracow. Honoured with numerous awards, such as the \u201cPassport\u201d award of Polityka weekly. Krystian Lupa\u2019s assistant in Factory 2 at the Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre in Cracow (2008). He debuted with Elfriede Jelinek\u2019s A Sport Play in Opole (2008). His adaptations include The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Polski Theatre in Wroc\u0142aw, 2009) and Kronos by Witold Gombrowicz (Polski Theatre in Wroc\u0142aw, 2013). Director of the spectacles Odyssey (Jan Kochanowski Theatre in Opole, 2009), The Sexual Life of Savages (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw, 2011), The Death Star (Jerzy Szaniawski Dramatic Theatre in Wa\u0142brzych, 2010), Balladyna (Polish Theatre in Pozna\u0144, 2013) and The Sky of Stone Instead of Stars (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw, 2013). Often collaborates with Aleksandra Wasilkowska on stage design. Garbaczewski also staged Victory Over the Sun (Grand Theatre \u2013 National Opera, 2014), The Tempest (Polski Theatre in Wroc\u0142aw, 2015) and Hamlet (Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre in Cracow, 2015). In June 2016 Garbaczewski directed Robert Robur based on an unfinished novel by Miros\u0142aw Nahacz Robert Robur's Incredible Adventures \/ Niezwyk\u0142e przygody Roberta Robura, published two years after the author's death. Garbaczewski transfers dystopian reality, created by the writer to the world of media and virtual reality.  \nThis year, Garbaczewski staged Feast (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw). In 2017 he directed Plato\u2019s \u201cSymposium\u201d at Nowy Theatre in Warsaw, Reymont\u2019s \u201cThe Peasants\u201d at Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw, and Wyspa\u0144ski\u2019s \u201cLiberation\u201d at Studio Theatre in Warsaw. In 2018 he directed \u201cNietota\u201d and \u201cNew Territory\u201d at Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw. He also directed \u201cMiron Bia\u0142oszewski\/ Allen Ginsberg VR\u201d in New York at The Performing Garage. In 2018 he also initiated an artistic collective Dream Adoption Society, an artistic collective based in Warsaw, focused on virtual and augmented reality in the context of theater, performance and contemporary art exploring new technologies to create immersive, performative experiences.\n\"The Books of Jacob\" is presented by La MaMa in partnership with The Polish Cultural Institute New York and CultureHub. The Books of Jacob was developed in La MaMa and CultureHub's Experiments in Digital Storytelling Program, which is generously funded by the NEA and Radio Drama Network. This performance has been made possible through generous support from Trust for Mutual Understanding."},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"pl-PL","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Male-Books-of-Jacob-Part-2-Photos_III.12.2024_fot.Livia-Sa-courtesy-of-CultureHub_5.jpg","width":1500,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/2024\/11\/21\/books-of-jacob-part-ii\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Books of Jacob at La MaMa\u2019s CultureHub \/ Part II"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#website","url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/","name":"Instytut Polski w Nowym Jorku","description":"Instytuty Polskie","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"pl-PL"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#\/schema\/person\/c732b2695ee92026d080eec35471c7f1","name":"stypulkowskaa","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"pl-PL","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a29bb1802c91e057084d5d112dd59dc4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a29bb1802c91e057084d5d112dd59dc4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"stypulkowskaa"},"url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/author\/stypulkowskaa-2\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/202"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14749"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16845,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14749\/revisions\/16845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/newyork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}