Necessary Angel Theatre Company is thrilled to announce our partnership with Teatr Polski Bydgoszcz (Bydgoszcz, Poland) to produce the world premiere of The Woods, a new play written by Canadian/Polish playwright, Michael Rubenfeld.

The Woods is an epic allegorical tale that looks at the complicated lasting legacy of genocide and the great hope of the next-generation. Michael is originally from Winnipeg and now resides in Kraków, Poland.

The project will bring together an acclaimed team of Canadian theatre artists and Polish collaborators for an eight-week rehearsal and performance process leading to a major new production in Poland. The Canadian team includes director Necessary Angel Artistic Director Alan Dilworth, designer Lorenzo Savoini and Michael Rubenfeld, who will perform in the production — in Polish — alongside actors from the National Theatre Ensemble.

The international collaboration represents a landmark exchange between two national institutions. It brings Canadian artists into direct dialogue with Polish history, language, and theatrical tradition, while advancing a globally resonant work that explores how nations remember and rebuild after collective trauma.

ABOUT THE PLAY:

The Woods is an epic allegorical drama set in a forest haunted by the legacies of genocide. It tells the story of a family living in the aftermath of a national catastrophe — a family that becomes a microcosm for a country’s moral reckoning. Through its intergenerational narrative, the play explores how power, guilt, and survival echo across time, and whether it is possible for descendants of both victims and perpetrators to imagine a shared future.

At its core, The Woods asks how people inherit history — and whether remembering is enough to heal what has been broken. It is a haunting and deeply human story about the fragility of progress and the cost of hope.

The work draws inspiration from the moral and historical landscapes of Central Europe, while engaging universal questions about responsibility, identity, and the persistence of memory. Its theatrical language merges naturalism and allegory, echoing the work of writers such as Caryl Churchill, Tony Kushner, and Tadeusz Słobodzianek (Our Class).

A Teatr Polski Bydgoszcz production in association with FestivAlt Kraków and Necessary Angel Theatre Company

CAST:

Anja Bieżyńska, Zhenia Doliak, Adam Graczyk, Kacper Kurcius, Michał Jan Meller | Kamil Rodek, Dagmara Mrowiec-Matuszak, Michael Rubenfeld (guest appearance)

CREATIVE:

Michael Rubenfeld | Playwright

Iwona Nowacka | Translator

Alan Dilworth | Director

Marta Zalewska | Music

Lorenzo Savoini | Scenography

Magdalena Mucha | Costume Designer

Julia Dawidowska | Assistant Costume Designer

Robert Losicki |Lighting Designer

Emiko (milia Gumańska) | Video Designer

Zuzanna Medygrat | Assistant Director

Magdalena Niedźwiecka | Producer

Adam Pakieła | Stage Manager

Visit www.necessaryangel.com