Understanding Repression in Poland Duing the Communist Rule

Lucy Komisar has put out a review of "Wormwood".

Writes Komisar:

For about 20 years, from 1964, when Communists ruled Poland and dissidents went to jail, a very extraordinary underground theater troop bucked censorship and pelted the regime with avant garde works inspired by the director Jerzy Grotowski. It played to full house at shipyards and churches and other opposition stages until the actors in 1985 were forced into exile.

Now, decades later, the Theatre of the Eighth Day – with actors who joined the troop in the 1970s — travels internationally to reprise the astonishing and subversive plays that described and denounced life under repression and roused and nourished the opponents of the Communist regime.

Of note, Komisar viewed the play in NYC. Although the performers were all from Poland, they all spoke English but were barred (Repressed?) by the Actors Equity union (A government protected union) from performing the play in English in NYC.

Read the full review here.