Early 19th-century Lublin’s cultural life was quite extensively reported by Gazeta Warszawska [The Warsaw Gazette], whose special correspondent was based here. In October 1822, the correspondent wrote:
Exceeding all our expectations, with the utmost effort, for within a mere four months, a theatre was erected in Lublin, constructed from its very foundations by Mr Rodakiewicz, quite spacious inside and (with but minor inconveniences that could easily be remedied in time) well-equipped.
The Lublin audience could see the first performance in the new theatre in Jezuicka Street on 20 October. The winter repertoire was provided by Karol Bauer’s troupe of professional actors. Historians have not been able to ascertain the specific play, but William Shakespeare’s King Lear was one of the first productions staged. The title part was played by Jan Kochanowski, an actor who was, in the words of the above-mentioned correspondent, “fairly talented”.
