S³awomir Mrożek (born June 30, 1930 in Borzêcin near old capital city of Cracow) belongs to mainstream of Polish culture. He is both: classical and modern, absurd and serious, specifically Polish and universal. Mrożek has started as a journalist but soon, in the late 1950's turned to dramatic plays. He left Poland in 1963, first for Sweden, later Mexico, and returned to his homeland only after the collapse of the Communist system. In 1997 he moved to his native town of Cracow, where he lives until now with his Mexican wife. |
Mrożek has become a famous celebrity as an émigré. But he has been writing consequently in Polish and published his new works first of all in Poland, especially in important "Dialog" (Dialogue) theatre and drama magazine. At the beginning of his career he established his international reputation with short story collections, but soon became a full-fledged play writer. His first play -"The Police" - was published in 1958. Soon came the others, some of them really famous, like "Martyrdom of Piotr Ohey" (1959), "Tango" (1964), "The Emigrants" (1974), just to name the most important ones. "Vatzlav" (written in 1968, published in 1972) belongs to this category. In them Mrożek mixed satirical approach and a real sense of drama - and absurd. Soon his name, like those of Franz Kafka, Eugene Ionesco or Samuel Beckett has become well-known in West Berlin, Paris or New York, not saying about his native Poland where his plays - current political whereabouts notwithstanding - were constantly on the agenda of all main stages. Belonging to the theatre of absurd mainstream Mrożek never joined the experimental drama, anyhow, and soon was accepted by the wide audience as another "classical writer". Now he is one of the giants of contemporary Polish culture, known in Europe, America and - Japan, where his plays always had a wide audience. Let's hope that his next step in Asia will be here in Thailand with this production of "Vatzlav" by Department of Dramatic Arts, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. I wish the organizers and artists a great success and the Thai audience a good adventure with the surreal, but deeply meaningful art of Mrożek. Good luck!
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