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Solidarity with Solidarity: Six Polish Plays HALINA FILIPOWICZ The three'years between the rise ofthe Solidarity movement in August 1980 and the lifting of martial law in July 1983 mark a critical point in Poland's postwar history, Solidarity inspired profound changes in the political, social, and cultural life, not the least of which was an unprecedented opening up of minds and voices, In that sense, the Solidarity breakthrough was indeed a revolution- "a revolution of consciousness.'" To Solidarity's program of the Renewal, the communist authorities responded with alternating cycles of retrenchment and repression, which only laid bare the inefficacy of officially enforced solutions. The communists were eventually compelled to engage in a dialogue with Solidarity, which opened the way, in June 1989, to the first free elections in more than half a century. The emotional intensity and the violent disruptions of 1980-1983 have not produced a rich legacy of plays. Polish drama of the 1980s confirms, or so it seems, Jean Duvignaud's argument that formal institutionalized theatre becomes superfluous during periods of immense social change.' Invented stories on stage pale next to real-life drama in the streets. At a conference in May 1984, Daniel Gerould shared the opinion of the most astute of Polish theatre critics when he argued that Polish drama - for reasons not limited to censorship - lags behind immediate social and political reality3 Of the plays referring to the evenIs of 1980- 1983, six use them not as a detached backdrop or an unwieldy mass ofdetails, but as the direct catalyst for dramatic action:' Janusz Anderman's A Stadium (Stadion), Janusz Glowacki's Journey to Gdansk (Choinka strachu), Ireneusz IredyI'iski's A Nice Quiet Evening (Ladny, spokojny wiecz6r), S!awomir Mrozek's Alpha (Alja), Valesa (Waleza [sic]) by Jerzy Tymicki (a pseudonym), and W!adys!aw Zawistowski's From Here to America (Stqd do Ameryki).5 Journey to GdOlisk Solidarity Plays 107 and A Nice Quiet Evening, published in February 1981 , are the first dramatic responses to Solidarity strikes. A Stadium , Alpha, and Valesa take place during or shortly after martial law. From Here to America follows its characters from 1978 to 1987. What Mrozek has said of Alpha - "Had [Lech Wal~sal not existed, this play would not have been written"· - may well be true of the other works. Even when there is no mention of Wal~sa or Solidarity or democratic opposition, their palpable presence informs each of the plays. In their native cultural milieu where they might matter the most, the six plays are little known. Four of them (Anderman's, Iredy6ski's, Mrotek's, Tymicki's) have yet to be produced in Poland. Three (Anderman's, Mrozek's, Tymicki's) have been published only in the West. Given such limited reception, it must be striking that two of the plays, which merit particular attention, have met with a certain uneasiness. Tadeusz Nyczek comments thus on Alpha by Poland's eminent playwright who has lived in exile since 1963: It's a strange play. Bold, vexing, terribly disconcerting. .. . When the [political) situation changes, it will probably become a historical drama, but one that is too dark either to uplift or to illuminate anyone. I am not even talking about the fact that, considering today's national sensibilities, too many people would consider it almost a provocation and an attack on their feelings. I predict that it will live as a closet drama. ... I don't like this play. There is nothing (0 like it for. Bur I respect Mrozek for having written it.? Janusz Majcherek had the following response to Zawistowski's From Here to America, the first play produced in Poland to represent the collective experience of Solidarity and martial law: Jwasn't too inclined to analyze whether the performance Ihadjust seen was good or bad; artistic categories and critical judgments no longermattered. .. . Iknew one thing: Ihad just witnessed atheatrical event, perhaps the most important one in severa1 seasons.... I was deeply touched. - For us [people in their thirties and forties] the production was a jolt: it spoke about our life, using our language. No need to hide behind elaborate metaphors, historical costumes, suggestive disguises.8 In each...

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