PLEXUS SOLARIS THEATER
presents :
Arna
Book, Lyrics, Acting, Vocal - JOANNA STANECKA
Music, Arrangement, Live Performance - ZIBBY KREBS
Choreography by MARIAN ZAK
Visual by KAROLINA JACEWICZ
Arna
Is it possible to emigrate from one’s own life?
From country to country. From love to love. From who we are to who we might dare to become.
ARNA is an original chamber musical by Joanna Stanecka and Zibby Krebs—a unique fusion of theatre, music, and performance, in which rock, blues, jazz, and poetry intertwine to form a single, pulsating narrative.
Two artistic personalities meet on stage: Joanna Stanecka—an actress and vocalist—and Zibby Krebs—a guitarist, composer, and songwriter. Their shared language transcends genre boundaries. Here, music is not merely a backdrop for the story; it becomes a second protagonist—an emotion and a space where words are not always necessary.
This is theatre created with a human focus: intense, raw, tender, and unpredictable. It eschews pre-packaged formulas, featuring live music, original text, and a stage world crafted with meticulous attention to every detail.
We move from the Bałuty district of Łódź to New York—specifically, to the world of 1930s Harlem. Arna, a sensitive and solitary young woman, spends her days working in the household of an English aristocratic family, polishing silver forks and performing tasks that no one will ever remember. By night, she slips away to Harlem’s clubs to sing. There, she discovers music, finds her own voice, and encounters a love that has the power to change everything.
Yet, *Arna* is more than just a story about emigrating from one country to another. It is a tale of an inner journey—a story about the longing for freedom, about a body that knows the truth before the mind does, about a love capable of turning one’s entire life upside down, and about the courage to stop being who others expect us to be.
Is freedom something to be found far away? Or does it begin the moment we return to our true selves?
*Arna*—because sometimes the greatest journey begins the moment we stop running away from ourselves.
Comments :
"Arna" revealed something to us—something we each immersed ourselves in, in our own way and at our own pace. And though the tempo was dynamic, the images it evoked left a lasting mark. We kept up. We found ourselves.
I was deeply struck by the impassioned story about hands—those that give and those that receive. For as long as the world has existed, some have taken while others have given, even though the gesture itself remains the same.
In "Arna," there is heat and fire, a joy for the gifts of fate, an enduring wonder at life, a sense of agency, a focus on tasks, and inexhaustible energy. But there is also silence—a profound, piercing silence. And we… we "saw" that silence.
"I was truly delighted by *Arna*. This musical—which centers on women and the immigrant experience, tracing a journey from poverty to a sense of fulfillment—is deeply impressive. The minimalist set design allows the focus to remain entirely on her emotions and personal transformation. Zibby Krebs’s music complements the piece beautifully without ever overpowering it. I watched the whole thing with bated breath—highly recommended! Joanna has created an exceptional show, and Krebs’s music was absolutely fantastic! The blend of jazz, blues, and Broadway styles perfectly enhanced her performance. It was a truly remarkable and moving experience."
Throughout the hour-and-a-half-long performance of *Arena*, the tension is sustained; Joanna is unpredictable and full of surprising creativity.
She incorporates props, costumes, and masks into the set design, while her acting—complemented by a brilliant interplay between spoken word, vocals, and guitar—expertly modulates dynamics, rhythm, and sound. Simply magnificent!
