The metaphor of war in Jerzy Szaniawski’s play “Two Theaters” in the context of Polish and Russian theatrical traditions (a case study of Erwin Axer’s 1969 production in the Bolshoi Drama Theatre)
- DOI
- 10.5922/vestnikpsy-2026-3-7
- Pages
- 65-74
Abstract
The Polish playwright Jerzy Szaniawski is one of the representatives of the Polish anti-fascist Resistance movement who survived the Second World War and reflected it in his works through the prism of the tragedy of an entire generation. The article examines his most renowned play “Two Theatres,” which not only engages in a debate concerning the genre-specific features of contemporary drama but also metaphorically conveys the tragedy of an individual against the background of devastating war. In 1969, the premiere of this play, staged by the Polish guest director Erwin Axer, took place at the M. Gorky Bolshoi Drama Theatre. The leading roles were performed by Sergei Yursky and Oleg Basilashvili. The article addresses the issue of the Soviet audience’s reception of Jerzy Szaniawski’s play in the context of the national specificities of two theatrical traditions: Polish and Russian. The study concludes that the metaphorical image of war became the central locus in the play for reinterpreting the tragic history of the Polish people, and that the understanding of the tragedy of an entire generation possesses specific features within Polish national consciousness.