Slawomir Mrozek
Encyclopedia
Sławomir Mrożek is a Polish
dramatist and writer
. In 1963 Mrożek emigrated to France and then further to Mexico. In 1996 he returned to Poland
and settled in Kraków
. In 2008 he moved back to France.
Mrożek joined the Polish United Workers' Party
during the reign of Stalinism
in the People's Republic of Poland
, and made a living as a political journalist
. He began writing plays
in the late 1950s. His first play, Policja (The Police
), was published in 1958. Tango (1964) was Mrożek's first full-length play, written about totalitarianism
. Tango made Mrożek one of the most recognizable Polish contemporary writers in the world wrote Krystyna Dąbrowska. It became also his most successful play, according to Britannica, produced in many Western countries. In 1975 his second popular play Emigranci (The Émigrés), a bitter and ironic portrait of two Polish emigrants in Paris, was produced by director Andrzej Wajda
in the Teatr Stary in Kraków
. Mrożek traveled to France, England, Italy, Yugoslavia and other European countries. His plays belong to the genre of Theatre of the Absurd
, intended to shock the audience with non-realistic elements, political and historic references, distortion, and parody
.
in postwar Poland, Mrożek was one of several signatories of an open letter
from ZLP to Polish authorities supporting persecution of Polish religious leaders imprisoned by the Ministry of Public Security. He participated in the defamation of Catholic priests from Kraków
, three of whom were condemned to death by the Communist government in February 1953
after being groundlessly accused of treason. The death sentences were not enforced although Father Józef Fudali died in unexplained circumstances while in prison. Mrożek wrote a full-page article in support of the verdict, entitled "Zbrodnia główna i inne" (The Major and other Crimes), comparing death-row priests to degenerate SS-men and Ku-Klux-Klan.
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
dramatist and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. In 1963 Mrożek emigrated to France and then further to Mexico. In 1996 he returned to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and settled in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. In 2008 he moved back to France.
Mrożek joined the Polish United Workers' Party
Polish United Workers' Party
The Polish United Workers' Party was the Communist party which governed the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1989. Ideologically it was based on the theories of Marxism-Leninism.- The Party's Program and Goals :...
during the reign of Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
in the People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
, and made a living as a political journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He began writing plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
in the late 1950s. His first play, Policja (The Police
The Police (play)
The Police is a play written by Polish playwright Sławomir Mrożek.Written in 1958, it is Mrozek's first play and one of his most acclaimed early works. Written in the style of Theatre of the Absurd, and listed in the Martin Esslin book of the same name, it was produced at the Phoenix Theatre, New...
), was published in 1958. Tango (1964) was Mrożek's first full-length play, written about totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
. Tango made Mrożek one of the most recognizable Polish contemporary writers in the world wrote Krystyna Dąbrowska. It became also his most successful play, according to Britannica, produced in many Western countries. In 1975 his second popular play Emigranci (The Émigrés), a bitter and ironic portrait of two Polish emigrants in Paris, was produced by director Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
in the Teatr Stary in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. Mrożek traveled to France, England, Italy, Yugoslavia and other European countries. His plays belong to the genre of Theatre of the Absurd
Theatre of the Absurd
The Theatre of the Absurd is a designation for particular plays of absurdist fiction, written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, as well as to the style of theatre which has evolved from their work...
, intended to shock the audience with non-realistic elements, political and historic references, distortion, and parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
.
Controversy
In 1953, during the regime of StalinismStalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
in postwar Poland, Mrożek was one of several signatories of an open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
from ZLP to Polish authorities supporting persecution of Polish religious leaders imprisoned by the Ministry of Public Security. He participated in the defamation of Catholic priests from Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, three of whom were condemned to death by the Communist government in February 1953
Stalinist show trial of the Kraków Curia
The Stalinist show trial of the Kraków Curia was a public trial of four Roman Catholic priests – members of the Kraków diocesan Curia – including three lay persons, accused by the Communist authorities in the People's Republic of Poland of subversion and spying for the United States...
after being groundlessly accused of treason. The death sentences were not enforced although Father Józef Fudali died in unexplained circumstances while in prison. Mrożek wrote a full-page article in support of the verdict, entitled "Zbrodnia główna i inne" (The Major and other Crimes), comparing death-row priests to degenerate SS-men and Ku-Klux-Klan.
Works
List of plays by Sławomir Mrożek, based on Małgorzata Sugiera's "Dramaturgia Sławomira Mrożka." (The Dramatic Works of Slawomir Mrozek).- Professor / The professor (source: Jerzy Afanasjew, "Sezon kolorowych chmur. Z zycia Gdańskich teatrzyków 1954-1964" / "The Season of Colorful Clouds - From the Annals of Gdansk's Little Theatres 1954-1964", Gdynia 1968)
- Policja / The PoliceThe Police (play)The Police is a play written by Polish playwright Sławomir Mrożek.Written in 1958, it is Mrozek's first play and one of his most acclaimed early works. Written in the style of Theatre of the Absurd, and listed in the Martin Esslin book of the same name, it was produced at the Phoenix Theatre, New...
, "Dialog" 1958, nr 6 - Męczeństwo Piotra Ohey'a / The Martyrdom of Peter Ohey, "Dialog" 1959, nr 6
- Indyk / The Turkey, "Dialog" 1960, nr 10
- Na pełnym morzu / At Sea, "Dialog" 1961, nr 2
- Karol / Charlie, "Dialog" 1961, nr 3
- Strip-tease, "Dialog" 1961, nr 6
- Zabawa / The Party, "Dialog" 1962, nr 10
- Kynolog w rozterce / Dilemmas of a dog breeder, "Dialog" 1962, nr 11
- Czarowna noc / The magical night, "Dialog" 1963, nr 2
- Śmierć porucznika / The death of the lieutenant, "Dialog" 1963, nr 5
- Der Hirsch, trans. Ludwik Zimmerer (in:) STÜCKE I, Berlin (West), 1965 (no Polish version)
- Tango, "Dialog" 1964, nr 11
- Racket baby, trans. Ludwik Zimmerer (in:) STÜCKE I, Berlin (West), 1965 (no Polish version)
- Poczwórka / The quarter, "Dialog" 1967, nr 1
- Dom na granicy / The house on the border, "Dialog" 1967, nr 1
- Testarium, "Dialog" 1967, nr 11
- Drugie danie / The main course, "Dialog" 1968, nr 5
- Szczęśliwe wydarzenie / The fortunate event, "Kultura" 1971, nr 5
- Rzeźnia / The slaughterhouse, "Kultura" 1971, nr 5
- Emigranci / The Émigrés, "Dialog" 1974, nr 8
- Garbus / The Hunchback, "Dialog" 1975, nr 9
- Serenada / The Serenade, "Dialog" 1977, nr 2
- Lis filozof / The philosopher fox, "Dialog" 1977, nr 3
- Polowanie na lisa / Fox hunting, "Dialog" 1977, nr 5
- Krawiec / The Tailor (written in 1964) "Dialog" 1977, nr 11
- Lis aspirant / The trainee fox, "Dialog" 1978, nr 7
- Pieszo / On foot, "Dialog" 1980, nr 8
- VatzlavVatzlavVatzlav is a play by Polish dramatist and writer Slawomir Mrozek. It was written between 1968 and 1969 and has 77 scenes. It has been widely produced with productions at the Stratford Festival, off Broadway, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe....
(written in 1968), published by the Instytut Literacki / *Literary Institute in Paris - Ambassador / The ambassador, Paryz 1982
- Letni dzień / A summer day, "Dialog" 1983, nr 6
- Alfa / Alpha, Paryz, 1984
- Kontrakt / The contract, "Dialog" 1986, nr 1
- Portret / The portrait, "Dialog" 1987, nr 9
- Wdowy / Widows (written in 1992)
- Milość na Krymie / Love in the Crimea, "Dialog" 1993, nr 12
- Wielebni / The reverends, "Dialog" 2000, nr 11
- Piękny widok / A beautiful sight, "Dialog" 2000, nr 5
English translations
- "Tango". New York: Grove Press, 1968.
- "The Ugrupu Bird" (Wesele w Atomicach). London: Macdonald & Co., 1968.
- "Striptease", "Repeat Performance", and "The Prophets". New York: Grove Press, 1972.
- "Vatzlav". London: Cape, 1972.
- "The Elephant" (Słoń). Westport: Greenwood Press, 1972.
Further reading
- Alek Pohl (1972) Zurück zur Form. Strukturanalysen zu Slawomir Mrozek. Berlin: Henssel ISBN 3-87329-064-2
- Halina Stephan (1997) Transcending the Absurd: drama and prose of Slawomir Mrozek. (Studies in Slavic Literature and Poetics; 28). Amsterdam: Rodopi ISBN 90-420-0113-5