On 7 December 2025 Piotr Cieplak, a respected theatre director, educator and longtime lecturer of the Theatre Academy, died in Warsaw. The artist was 65 years old and left after a long illness.
Piotr Cieplak was born in 1960 in Czestochowa. He graduated from the Faculty of Knowledge about the Theatre of the Theatre Academy in Warsaw and the Department of Directing of the State Theatre School in Krakow. He made his directorial debut in 1989 at the Wilam Horycy Theatre in Toruń. In subsequent years he collaborated with many prestigious scenes, including the Contemporary Theatre in Wrocław, Dramatic Theatre and the Universal Theatre in Warsaw. From 1996 to 1998, he served as artistic director of the Theatre of Variety in Warsaw, contributing to its development and power. Since 2014, he has been a full-time director of the National Theatre, where he has created such performances as "Elementary", "Evening of the Three Kings or Coje" or "Waiting for Godot", for which he received the Prize to them. Cypriana Kamil Norwid in 2024.
Cieplak was also known for his television productions, including "Cross expeditions", "The Man Who Was Thursday", "The Slomkowy hat", "The Tales for Children" and "The Silver Dream of Salomei". His work drew inspiration from literature, including the works of Jerzy Pilch, as "Narty of the Holy Father".
For his achievements Piotr Cieplak received numerous awards, including the Passport "Politics", the 19th Prix of the Opolskie Theatre Confrontations, the Sigismund Hübner Award "Man of Theatre", the Konrad Swinarski Award and the Warsaw Felix Prize. In 2016, he was honored with the Silver Medal "The Honourable Culture of Gloria Artis", and in 2024 the Golden Medal of the same name.
Iinformation about the artist's death was given first by the Academy of Theatre on its Instagram profile. In a statement, the university expressed great sadness:
"We took with great sadness the news of the departure of Professor Piotr Cieplak – a respected director, educator and lecturer who combined mindfulness, a sense of humor and great kindness in working with students".
Close condolences were given.
The death of Piotr Cieplak touched the artistic environment. Many stars, including Cezary Żak and Rafał Zawierucha, said goodbye in moving social media entries, highlighting his contribution to Polish theatre and personal kindness.
The departure of Piotr Cieplak is a great loss to Polish theatre. His achievements will remain an inspiration for future generations of artists.
