Sławomir Mrożek

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Sławomir Mrożek
Sławomir Mrożek, Warsaw (Poland), 20.05.2006
Born	June 29, 1930(1930-06-29) Borzecin, Poland
Occupation	Dramatist, Writer
Nationality	Poland

Sławomir Mrożek (born June 29, 1930) is a Polish dramatist and writer.

Mrożek joined Polish United Workers' Party during the reign of Stalinism in the People's Republic of Poland, and made a living as a political journalist.

In the late 1950s Mrożek begun writing plays. His first play, Policja (The Police), was published in 1958. Mrożek emigrated to France in 1963 and then further to Mexico.^[1] He traveled in France, England, Italy, Yugoslavia and other European countries.^[2] In 1996 he returned to Poland and settled in Kraków.

His first full-length play "Tango" (1964) – a family saga – is still along with "The Emigrants" (a bitter and ironic portrait of two Polish emigrants in Paris) his best-known work, and continue to be performed throughout the world.^[who?] Director Andrzej Wajda made a theatre production of "The Emigrants" in 1975 at the Teatr Stary in Kraków. In 2006 Mrożek released his autobiography called "Baltazar".

Mrożek's works belong to the genre of Theatre of the Absurd, intended to shock the audience with non-realistic elements, political and historic references, distortion and parody.

[edit] Controversy

In 1953, during the reign of Stalinism in Poland, Mrożek was one of several signatories of an open letter to Polish authorities participating in defamation of Catholic priests from Kraków, three of whom were condemned to death by the communist government after being groundlessly accused of treason. ^[3]^[4]

[edit] Works

List of plays by Sławomir Mrożek, based on Malgorzata Sugiera "Dramaturgia Sławomira Mrożka."^{[citation needed]}

Profesor / The professor (source: Jerzy Afanasjew, "Sezon kolorowych chmur. Z zycia Gdanskich teatrzykow 1954-1964" / "The Season of Colorful Clouds - From the Annals of Gdansk's Little Theatres 1954-1964", Gdynia 1968)
Policja / The Police, "Dialog" 1958, nr 6
Meczenstwo Piotra Ohey'a / The Martyrdom of Peter Ohey, "Dialog" 1959, nr 6
Indyk / The Turkey, "Dialog" 1960, nr 10
Na pelnym morzu / At Sea, "alog" 1961, nr 2
Karol / Charlie, "Dialog" 1961, nr 3
Strip-tease, "Dialog" 1961, nr 6
Zabawa / The Party, "Dialog" 1962, nr 10
Kynolog w rozterce / Dilemmas of a dog breeder, "Dialog" 1962, nr 11
Czarowna noc / The magical night, "Dialog" 1963, nr 2
Smierc porucznika / The death of the lieutenant, "Dialog" 1963, nr 5
Der Hirsch, trans. Ludwik Zimmerer (in:) STÜCKE I, Berlin (West), 1965 (no Polish version)
Tango, "Dialog" 1964, nr 11
Racket baby, trans. Ludwik Zimmerer (in:) STÜCKE I, Berlin (West), 1965 (no Polish version)
Poczworka / The quarter, "Dialog" 1967, nr 1
Dom na granicy / The house on the border, "Dialog" 1967, nr 1
Testarium, "Dialog" 1967, nr 11
Drugie danie / The main course, "Dialog" 1968, nr 5
Szczesliwe wydarzenie / The fortunate event, "Kultura" 1971, nr 5
Rzeznia / The slaughterhouse, "Kultura" 1971, nr 5
Emigranci / The Émigrés, "Dialog" 1974, nr 8
Garbus / The Hunchback, "Dialog" 1975, nr 9
Serenada / The Serenade, "Dialog" 1977, nr 2
Lis filozof / The philosopher fox, "Dialog" 1977, nr 3
Polowanie na lisa / Fox hunting, "Dialog" 1977, nr 5
Krawiec / The Tailor (written in 1964) "Dialog" 1977, nr 11
Lis aspirant / The trainee fox, "Dialog" 1978, nr 7
Pieszo / On foot, "Dialog" 1980, nr 8
Vatzlav (written in 1968), published by the Instytut Literacki / *Literary Institute in Paris
Ambassador / The ambassador, Paryz 1982
Letni dzien / A summer day, "Dialog" 1983, nr 6
Alfa / Alpha, Paryz, 1984
Kontrakt / The contract, "Dialog" 1986, nr 1
Portret / The portrait, "Dialog" 1987, nr 9
Wdowy / Widows (written in 1992)
Milosc na Krymie / Love in the Crimea, "Dialog" 1993, nr 12
Wielebni / The reverends, "Dialog" 2000, nr 11
Piekny widok / A beautiful sight, "Dialog" 2000, nr 5

[edit] English translations

"Tango". New York: Grove Press, 1968.
"The Ugrupu Bird" (Wesele w Atomicach). London: Macdonald & Co., 1968.
"Striptease", "Repeat Performance", and "The Prophets". New York: Grove Press, 1972.
"Vatzlav". London: Cape, 1972.
"The Elephant" (Słoń). Westport: Greenwood Press, 1972.