The choice of repertory in the 19th century Polish theatre poses an interesting research problem for a theatre historian, as the analysis of varied and rich repertories makes it possible to reconstruct the multifaceted reality of provincial theatre life. The essay presented here focuses on the repertoire politics of the Polski Theatre in Poznan in 1875-1908, with the special emphasis on plays by Victorien Sardou, which figured prominently in the company's repertory even before it constituted itself fully. It begs the question as to the causes of such extraordinary popularity of plays that are now completely forgotten and have never even been published in Polish. The starting point of the research is an analysis of the Poznan theatre's repertories and 19th century copies of Sardou's plays in the collection of the Raczynski Library in Poznan. They are a very important source of information that enables us to at least partially reconstruct the performances. As a result of the source analysis, we can appreciate the stage worthiness of particular dramas written by Sardou, and the staging opportunities and pitfalls within the structure of well-made plays.
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