Jan Peszek was born in 1944. He obtained the actor’s diploma and graduated from the State Theatre Academy in Kraków.
During his over 40-year-long, intense work in many theatres in Poland, including Wrocław, Kraków, Łódź, Warsaw, he played numerous roles, also Shakespearian. He created great characters from the Polish Romanticism. He starred in the plays of Ibsen, Strinberg, O’Casey, Beckett, Ionesco, Czechow, Gogol, Dostojewski, Wyspiański, Schulz, Gombrowicz and Różewicz.
For his theatrical achievements he has received many awards at the most prestigious theatre festivals.
His numerous roles in the Television Theatre has brought him not only more awards, but wide popularity as well.
Jan Peszek is also a film actor. Apart from many roles played in films directed by outstanding Polish film directors like Has, Marczewski, Wajda, Gliński – he also willingly cooperates with young directors like Kotlarczyk or Trelński. He has been awarded many times for his film parts as well, like with Lwy Gdańskie at the Polish Film Festival in Gdańsk.
Since 1964 he has been closely cooperating with Bogusław Schaeffer – an outstanding composer and playwright. Written by Schaeffer especially for Peszek : The screenplay for not existing but possible instrumental actor, on stage since 1976, has passed the number of 1,5 thousand performances. The screenplay is highly valued by both critics and the public, it received many awards including the Grand Prix of the Festival of Polish Contemporary Arts, 1993 (Festiwal Polskich Sztuk Współczesnych) and the Grand Prix of the Festival of Theatres of Middle and East Europe in New York, 1995 (Festiwal Teatrów Europy Środkowej i Wschodniej). The play was performed in most European countries – among others in France, Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Check, Ukraine or Bulgaria as well as in Japan, the United States of America and Mexico.
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Together with a group of young creators MW-2, for many years he has been taking part in the activities of the avant-garde in Kraków and in whole Poland. This has made Jan Peszek a versatile and uniquely dynamic actor. He is constantly occupied with his job, presenting his solo performances and the ones prepared with companies all over the world.
During last years he has directed theatre plays of Shakespeare, Witkacy, Gombrowicz, Ibsen, Belbel, Marius von Majenburg, Albi, Pinter. He also directed the Figaro’s Wedding by W.A. Mozart.
In the years 1992 – 2000 Peszek cooperated with Theatre Cai in Tokio – acting, directing and leading acting workshops. In 1997 he received a prestigious critics’ award for directing Iwona Księżniczka Burgunda by Gombrowicz played by Japanese actors. In 1999, in Theatre Cocoon Bunkamura in Tokyo he, together with Japanese actors, acted in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. He played the character of Puck.
For almost thirty years he has been training professional actors, deriving his techniques from the theory of Michail Czechow, in Theatre Academies of Wrocław, Łódź and Kraków.
Peszek publishes much of his work in professional theatre magazines. He leads acting workshops for young actors in Poland and all over the world. Among them are: Inner actors’ techniques – Paris, Tokyo; The instrumental actor – Paris, Tokyo, Cologne, Riga.
Jan Peszek holds the title of Professor of Theatre Arts. He works at the State Theatre Academy in Kraków.
During his over 40-year-long, intense work in many theatres in Poland, including Wrocław, Kraków, Łódź, Warsaw, he played numerous roles, also Shakespearian. He created great characters from the Polish Romanticism. He starred in the plays of Ibsen, Strinberg, O’Casey, Beckett, Ionesco, Czechow, Gogol, Dostojewski, Wyspiański, Schulz, Gombrowicz and Różewicz.
For his theatrical achievements he has received many awards at the most prestigious theatre festivals.
His numerous roles in the Television Theatre has brought him not only more awards, but wide popularity as well.
Jan Peszek is also a film actor. Apart from many roles played in films directed by outstanding Polish film directors like Has, Marczewski, Wajda, Gliński – he also willingly cooperates with young directors like Kotlarczyk or Trelński. He has been awarded many times for his film parts as well, like with Lwy Gdańskie at the Polish Film Festival in Gdańsk.
Since 1964 he has been closely cooperating with Bogusław Schaeffer – an outstanding composer and playwright. Written by Schaeffer especially for Peszek : The screenplay for not existing but possible instrumental actor, on stage since 1976, has passed the number of 1,5 thousand performances. The screenplay is highly valued by both critics and the public, it received many awards including the Grand Prix of the Festival of Polish Contemporary Arts, 1993 (Festiwal Polskich Sztuk Współczesnych) and the Grand Prix of the Festival of Theatres of Middle and East Europe in New York, 1995 (Festiwal Teatrów Europy Środkowej i Wschodniej). The play was performed in most European countries – among others in France, Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Check, Ukraine or Bulgaria as well as in Japan, the United States of America and Mexico.
.
Together with a group of young creators MW-2, for many years he has been taking part in the activities of the avant-garde in Kraków and in whole Poland. This has made Jan Peszek a versatile and uniquely dynamic actor. He is constantly occupied with his job, presenting his solo performances and the ones prepared with companies all over the world.
During last years he has directed theatre plays of Shakespeare, Witkacy, Gombrowicz, Ibsen, Belbel, Marius von Majenburg, Albi, Pinter. He also directed the Figaro’s Wedding by W.A. Mozart.
In the years 1992 – 2000 Peszek cooperated with Theatre Cai in Tokio – acting, directing and leading acting workshops. In 1997 he received a prestigious critics’ award for directing Iwona Księżniczka Burgunda by Gombrowicz played by Japanese actors. In 1999, in Theatre Cocoon Bunkamura in Tokyo he, together with Japanese actors, acted in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. He played the character of Puck.
For almost thirty years he has been training professional actors, deriving his techniques from the theory of Michail Czechow, in Theatre Academies of Wrocław, Łódź and Kraków.
Peszek publishes much of his work in professional theatre magazines. He leads acting workshops for young actors in Poland and all over the world. Among them are: Inner actors’ techniques – Paris, Tokyo; The instrumental actor – Paris, Tokyo, Cologne, Riga.
Jan Peszek holds the title of Professor of Theatre Arts. He works at the State Theatre Academy in Kraków.