The decision was taken unanimously at the organization’s general assembly, hosted by Teatro Stabile di Torino in Italy.
Dorota Ignatjew, director of the Stary Theatre, said on Wednesday that membership in mitos21 recognizes the company’s standing among Europe's leading theatres.
"It opens new opportunities for collaboration with partner institutions across the continent, including access to grants and joint artistic residencies," Ignatjew told a news conference.
"As an institution, we want to represent Poland in Europe," she added.
The Stary Theatre is the only Polish drama company in the mitos21 network, whose 18 members include institutions such as Théâtre de l’Odéon in Paris, the Burgtheater in Vienna, Comédie de Genève, Thalia Theater in Hamburg, Dramaten in Stockholm and the National Theatre in London.
The theatre's management said its diverse repertoire and extensive international partnerships helped secure its admission to the network.
Ignatjew said the company's latest production, Still Lifes, was written and directed by Elsa Revcolevschi, a French director of Polish-Jewish descent, and added that future collaborations are planned with directors from Singapore and France.
The mitos21 network takes its name from the ancient Greek word for "thread," referring to the myth of Ariadne’s thread guiding the way out of the labyrinth.
According to its website, the network aims to create opportunities for artists and theatre professionals from Europe and beyond to meet, collaborate and reflect on the role of theatre in contemporary society.
Founded in 1781, the Stary Theatre—named after renowned Polish actress Helena Modrzejewska (Modjeska)—is one of the country's oldest public theatres.
(mk/gs)