Władza i teatr: wokół Dziadów i Marca ‘68
Power and the Theatre: On the Production of Forefathers Eve and the Polish March of 1968

Summary/Abstract: The author discusses three theatre seasons (1966/67–1968/69) focusing on events that bear on the strained political situation following the taking Kazimierz Dejmek’s production of Mickiewicz’s Dziady (Forefathers Eve) off the stage of the Narodowy Theatre. Political turmoil abroad (the Six Day War, the Prague Spring, etc.) put censors and government officials of all levels on their toes. Insofar as the events taking place in Warsaw are well known (though the specifics of censoring Po górach, po chmurach (‘Over the Mountains and over the Clouds’) by Bryll at the Współczesny Theatre are discussed for the first time here), we still know little about the situation outside the capital, and the things going on there were sometimes astounding. For the purposes of this article, Jan Maciejowski has recounted the story of his “leaving” of Szczecin and “not taking over” the management of the Stary Theatre, which was never mentioned anywhere. The article also brings a detailed account of the scandal surrounding the production of Kurdesz (‘The Old Drinking Song’) by Bryll at the Stary Theatre, which led to Hübner’s resignation. The author presents a handful of less known facts surrounding the “Forefathers Eve affair.” She does not purport to make any general statements nor does she offer any definitive diagnosis; the point is rather to convey the atmosphere, the specific and characteristic mixture of terror and fear, stupidity and eagerness, cynicism, paranoia, gossips, conjectures, and helplessness.

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