A light in the darkness

As one of the characters in the play Darkroom says, each of us has been in the darkroom forever. It is a murky labyrinth where everyone is lost. Przemysław Wojcieszek, the author and director of the play, which is based on a novel by Rujana Jeger, places a mixture of characters inside the labyrinth, along with references to the current political and social situation in Poland. There are family problems, painful experiences, lack of love, anti-gay demonstrations, and Radio Maryja in the background.

The play is controversial, but the author says we should behave like adults towards it. "I don't really care if someone gets offended or if what I do goes against someone's sense of good taste. I am not able to do things which are blank. I try to stage plays that are polemical with reality. My plays are all about contemporary events and I believe I have to somehow react to these events," adds Wojcieszek.

His characters are intriguing. Jerzy Łapiński plays Stanisław, an old, homeless and homophobic former playboy who joins the Radio Maryja listeners' group in order to be closer to women. Rafał Mohr is Łukasz, a homeless gay, who tries to make a living by singing in karaoke bars. Maria Seweryn and Karol Wróblewski play a young couple from a small town trying to make a living in Warsaw.

Wojcieszek appreciates his chance to stage a play in the Polonia Theater, which grants its directors full artistic freedom. "The theater is aiming to become one of the most interesting and energetic places on the artistic map of Warsaw. At the same time there are many conservative theaters in Warsaw and it's really surprising that texts like Darkroom, texts treating current issues, are not present there. Here in Warsaw such plays are still a reason for controversy," Wojcieszek adds.

For further details see www.teatrpolonia.pl or call 0 22 621 61 41