a theatre piece by Magda Szpecht
SHE STANDS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLEFIELD IN POLAND IS PERFORMED AS
BĘDZIE TRZEBA, TO PÓJDĘ NA WOJNĘ
The third year of full-scale war meets her somewhere at the front. She has taken the oath and is a soldier now. There is no turning back. Fellow soldier, theater director, sister. In exile, she sensitized Western societies to the fate of her country, only to finally take matters into her own hands and follow her heart to her hometown and confront the enemy and the realities of working in the army.
“She Stands in the Middle of a Battlefield” tells the story of a friendship, idealism, and an enduring commitment to war despite its devastating nature. The performance takes the form of a composition consisting of new images of the war, open-source intelligence data, private correspondence and sound forms to help dulled emotions resonate. It is created especially to express that feeling in which a sister goes to war and needs (your) support.
Although the mobilization of women is not mandatory, the number has been growing since 2014, joining the ranks of the army and in 2024 it reached at least 67,000. The heroism and commitment of Ukrainian women in the defense of their country shows that modern war has more and more of a woman in it. The significant increase in the number of female soldiers on the front lines and women supporting the war effort in multiple ways (including demining the country, defense against drones, in civilian and medical services) at the same time opens a new chapter on another battlefield – for self-determination and equality for women in Ukrainian society.
“She stands in the middle of a battlefield” (2025) is another theater work by Magda Szpecht, coinciding with the third year of full-scale war in Ukraine. In the performative lecture “Cyber Elf” (2022), the artist returned to her first profession – journalism – and used the tools of cyberactivism to fight Russian trolls, fake news and show in real time how one can join the conflict and help Ukraine in its struggle for freedom. In the Estonian performance “Spy Girls” (2024), Szpecht, in turn, engaged an acting troupe in a subversive, collaborative online intelligence effort to learn about the enemy’s worldview and motivations. By seducing soldiers on Russian-language dating sites, they sought to learn their personal stories and, most importantly, their goals and location on the front lines. All of these projects share a lively commitment to neighboring Ukraine and work at the intersection of forensic theater, journalism and cyber activism.
Directed by, script: Magda Szpecht
Dramaturgy, script, light design: Szymon Adamczak
Set design, light, costumes, video: Karolina Pawelczyk
Video collaboration: Michał Rogulski
Music, sound design: Krzysztof Kaliski
Production: Michał Rogulski ÆFEKT
Performed by: Agata Różycka
Duration: 70 minutes
Co-production: ÆFEKT, Bazaar Festival Prague, Dramatyczny Theatre in Warsaw
Strategic partner: Adam Mickiewicz Institute
Czech premiere: March 20, 2025, Bazaar Festival, Divadlo Archa
Polish premiere: May 16, 2025, Dramatyczny Theater, Warsaw Theater Meetings
