from 1948 to 1956 she worked in the puppet theater "groteska" in cracow as an actor and an assistant of władysław jarema, one of the greatest puppet artists of the post-war period in poland. it was there that she made her first steps as an independent director. she held the position of art director at the puppet stage of teatr rozmaitości (variety theater) in wrocław from 1956 to 1958, where she developed her directing skills and made her debut as a scenographer. she worked as a director and scenographer at the puppet theater "banialuka" in bielsko-biała from 1958 to 1960. here she directed many plays, including two plays she authored under the pen name dominika: “o słońcu, sroczce i krasnoludkach” (1958) and “profesor serduszko” (1960).