Łaskawość Tytusa a kryzys demokracji
The Clemency of Titus and the Crisis of Democracy

Summary/Abstract: Marcin Bogucki reviews the opera The Clemency of Titus directed by Ivo van Hove (Wielki Theater – National Opera in Warsaw, premiere: 16.01.2016), calling attention to the world of politics it depicts. The narrative of the play is based on peeking behind the scenes of power structures and politicians' lives, with reference made to House of Cards. The author indicates the elements of staging: the stylish costumes, lavish interiors, contemporary technological gadgets, and the constant presence of cameras. Though this appears to resemble the television series, instead it takes the form of a fantasy which serves to distance the protagonists from reality. Bogucki criticizes the one-dimensionality of the characters, which, when paired with the reduction of the historical context of the work's origins, steers the production toward being an Enlightenment treatise that suggests oversimplified methods of overcoming the crisis of democracy.

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