Tacoma-based theater company Studio 21 is currently making final preparations for its performance of Sebastian Barry’s “The Steward of Christendom” at Commencement Bay Coffee Company, opening today, Sept. 6.



“The Steward of Christendom” is about a retired senior officer in the Dublin Metropolitan Police named Thomas Dunne. The story takes place in his imagination and in his bedroom inside a mental institution. 



The stage, set and lighting were all specially built for this show to provide an eerie otherworldliness. Part of the allure of the production is the mastery of lighting technician Ryan Coleman, who drifts the audience between reality and memory with his artful craft. “I call him Magician,” says Studio 21 founder and director Henryk Wrozynski.

Studio 21 was founded on the concept of independence and creative freedom, ideals that Wrozynski holds dear.



Wrozynski proudly states that Studio 21 is the only independent, privately owned theater company in Tacoma. He romantically refers to his troupe as traveling gypsies. Remaining independent is no small feat since every stage, every set, every costume, every script and every detail of the production must be acquired or created each time they present a show.

Details matter to Wrozynski, both in the acting and in the presentation. He is like the M. Night Shyamalan of theater. He is able to communicate the complexities of a character, the layers of thoughts and emotions behind the text, and the symbolism of certain props and pieces of the set. He went to great lengths to find authentic costumes and accessories for this production. 



“As a director, I design and stage the plays to capture the images that depict for me the meaning of the play itself,” says Wrozynski. “I am trying to get to what is in the soul of that character.”



Wrozynski, who has a master’s degree in Fine Arts and Theater, immigrated to the United States in the late ’80s as a political refugee after views expressed in his theater productions in Poland resulted in threats on his life. After spending time in Spokane and Seattle, he landed in Tacoma because a teaching opportunity was presented to him by Pierce College Fort Steilacoom. His production of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” at Pierce garnered him a Kennedy Center American College Theater award.



Wrozynski found his Juliet in the acting class he taught at Pierce. Her name is Anne, and though he left Pierce College quite some time ago, he and Anne have been married for several years. He said she is a brilliant actress. She plays the part of Mrs. O’Dea in his current production. She also played the lead in Studio 21’s last play, “Molly Sweeney.”

When asked if Studio21 tends to use the same actors again and again he replies, “Even my wife has to audition.”



[Commencement Bay Coffee Company, Sept. 6-23, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $15-$20, 2354 S. Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, 253.761.7491, www.studio21theatre.com]