Spare the rod, save the theater

The heretic play in question, The Sacrifice of Vilgefortis, presents the story of a noble virgin crucified for her love of God.

Unfortunately for the play's director, Piotr Tomaszuk, a local government official, Zbigniew Puksza, took offence to the play and has made it his mission to exile it. Puksza, a member of the right-wing League of Polish Families, has never visited the cathedral in Pultusk where St Vilgefortis, a woman crucified for her love of God, is portrayed, and so mistook the figure in the play for Jesus Christ with breasts. Despite his error, and the fact that he has not seen the play, Puksza and his supporters have denounced the theater and threatened to beat Tomaszuk with sticks.

Tomaszuk contends that he chose to make Vilgefortis (meaning "strong virgin") a subject of his play because he was moved by the legend of the woman's love of God, which was so great that she was willing to sacrifice her life for him. The entire affair has left a bitter taste in Tomaszuk's mouth; he contends that although there is no longer any official censorship, a kind of 'social censorship' has sprung up, often based on ignorance and prejudice.

Peter S. Rieth