Mladinsko Theatre's public support for Powszechny Theatre

The Mladinsko Theatre (Slovenia) wishes to express its solidarity and support for our colleagues and partners, the Powszechny Theatre from Warsaw, in time of the attacks that accompany their latest premiere The Curse (Klątwa), directed by Oliver Frljić, which was inspired by Stanisław Wyspiański’s play of the same name.

Like the majority of Frljić’s performances, The Curse is conceived as a “bomb” filled with meaning, which at the moment of its “explosion” may create a wider social performance piece. The responses to it and the entire series of protests build a narrative about the Polish society today, reveal the symptoms that aren’t always in accordance with the official – or acknowledged – truth of this society, around which a further dialog and reflection can be constructed.

The performance is – in this moment of emerging political tensions, return to conservative values, cursory populism which hides different nationalisms, xenophobia and hate – a truly excellent example of disobedient, critical theatre.

It includes a cast of excellent actors, brave and conscious people who, with their performances and in the best tradition of Polish theatre, provide the audiences with extreme and intense experiences.

Considering the excellent reviews, distinctly positive responses from theatre professionals and standing ovations during every reprise, the performance is an immense and precious success of the Powszechny Theatre and the Polish theatre in general.

But it is also accompanied by numerous protests of the groups of the extreme right, the Catholic media and the Polish National Television which is encouraging and inciting a lynching of the actors and the management of the Powszechny Theatre.

We are appealing to the authorities of the Republic of Poland to protect the artists, as the freedom of speech and the freedom of artistic expression are two of the foundations of democracy. We are asking the authorities of the city of Warsaw to protect the currently extremely important space of a dialogue, the Poswszechny Theatre. We are also calling on both to prevent the implementation of new mechanisms of conservative censorship which seriously endangers the freedom of arts.

We admire Polish theatre because of the importance and power it has, and we are appealing to all to protect its integrity and freedom.

Tibor Mihelič Syed
Mladinsko Theatre Managing Director

Goran Injac
Mladinsko Theatre Artistic Director and Dramaturg of The Curse (Klątwa)