Mrożek, Gombrowicz and National Theatre at the Festival

A long ovation was given to the spectacle „Proof of another’s existence” which was shown on Saturday, March 21, during the 21st edition of International Festival of Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant. The spectacle (produced by the National Theatre in Warsaw) showed that „literature is not to make life easier but to make it tougher”.

Sławomir Mrożek and Witold Gombrowicz meet on stage. They are two authors that have had enormous impact on the way we think of Poland, on understanding who we are. They „talk”. However it is not a typical conversation. Gombrowicz provokes, acts, pretends; Mrożek is withdrawn, silent. Both are ironic, detached and also completely different. They differ in many respects: age, background, experiences with Poland, expression. But for both of them it is literature and Poland that are most important. Discussion on Poland takes place on a quite different level. It is not a political debate that we know so well from our media. It is a frank, critical and ruthless settlement with the national sense of a continuous „being a secondary matter”. It is putting on a razor’s edge all our national complexes and frustrations that we so carefully nurture. Everything in a mist of absurd because, as Gombrowicz puts it, „the more foolish way the better”.

„Proof of another’s existence” is not only a confrontation of two writers. It reveals more universal issues connected with the condition of an artist – the main subject of this year’s edition of the Festival suggested by Ms Ewa Pilawska, the art director of the Festival. „Does a contemporary artist need obstacles which he must overcome? Is a contemporary artist able to create in conditions of unlimited freedom? Does a contemporary artist raise unanswered questions?” – these are fundamental and still valid questions that concern not only the meeting of Gombrowicz and Mrożek but present (and future) discussions on the condition of an artist as well.

After the spectacle there was a meeting with its creators that was moderated by Łukasz Drewniak. Maciej Wojtyszko – the playwright and the director – explained that the play was based on actual meetings of two writers in 1965 and 1966. He said Mrożek “was in love” with Gombrowicz. On the other hand Gombrowicz only once mentioned Mrożek in one of his works. This was a complicated relation of two outstanding creators – it was based on mutual fascination, inspiring but difficult. Jan Englert, who plays the part of Gombrowicz, recalled his meetings with Mrożek who never spoke a word to him.

Thank you for coming!

Maciej Wojtyszko

Proof of another’s existence

Director: Maciej Wojtyszko

Set design: Paweł Dobrzycki

Music: Piotr Moss

Lightning director: Grzegorz Kędzierski

Cast: Monika Dryl, Dominika Kluźniak, Kamilla Baar, Grzegorz Kwiecień, Marcin Przybylski, Jan Englert, Cezary Kosiński