http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/11/theater/theater-in-honor-of-wildness-and-wit.

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Theater: In Honor Of Wildness And Wit

By MERILYN JACK ON !"#lished: No$e%#er &&' ())&

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WITOLD GOMBROWICZ, the Polish-born playwright, no elist, !iarist an! i"ono"last, earne! a rep#tation as a s"an!alo#s geni#s in Polan!, tho#gh he li e! in sel$-i%pose! e&ile in 'rgentina $or () years a$ter being stran!e! there when *itler in a!e! his "o#ntry+ Go%browi", -prono#n"e! go%-BRO*- eet"h. ha! Rabelais in his D/' an! his literary ante"e!ents wen! ba"0 thro#gh 'l$re! 1arry2s 223b# Roi22 to Moli4re+ Born in 567), he was a le$tist, anti"leri"al bise&#al whose writings #se br#tal wit an! o#trageo#s se&#al "o%%entary to ri!i"#le a#thority an! "lass !istin"tions+ *is the%es o$ in$antili,ation an! %#t#al !ebase%ent oppose! all party lines an! his boo0s were banne! in Co%%#nist Polan!+ 'ltho#gh his wor0s ha e been translate! into %any lang#ages an! his plays pro!#"e! in 87 "o#ntries, Go%browi", is perhaps best 0nown in '%eri"a $or his $irst no el, 229er!y!#r0e,22 whi"h was p#blishe! in Polish in 568:, an! $or his play 22I ona, Prin"ess o$ B#rg#n!ia,22 whi"h "hara"teristi"ally la%poons aristo"rati" pretensions an! was o$ten per$or%e! in the 56;72s in the 3nite! <tates+ In the early 56;72s he %o e! to 9ran"e, where he !ie! in 56;6+ In the satiri"al play 229er!y!#r0e,22 a!apte! $ro% the no el, the inner wil! "hil! that Go%browi", "elebrate! is in $#ll iew+ Two re"ently %erge! Polish theater "o%panies $ro% L#blin -- Teatr Pro isori#% an! =o%pania Teatr -- "onsi!ere! the "o#ntry2s lea!ing alternati e tro#pe, ha e trans$or%e! 229er!y!#r0e22 into a t#%#lt#o#s e ening o$ physi"al theater $or $o#r per$or%ers+ The pro!#"tion, !ire"te! by 1an#s, Opryns0i an! Witol! Ma,#r0iewi",, opens tonight at La Ma%a $or two wee0s, the $irst stop on a si&-"ity '%eri"an to#r+ -Per$or%an"es are in >nglish, e&"ept $or the %atinees to!ay an! ne&t <#n!ay at (?87 p+%+, both o$ whi"h will be in Polish+. Last year, the pro!#"tion ha! a one-wee0 r#n in /ew @or0 be$ore e ent#ally arri ing at the >!inb#rgh 9ringe 9esti al, where it won a 9ringe 9irst 'war!+ In 229er!y!#r0e22 -a nonsense wor! prono#n"e! $ehr-!ih-DOR=-eh., 1ose$, a 87-year-ol! writer -portraye! by Mr+ Ma,#r0iewi",. is $or"e! by his ol! pro$essor, Pi%0o -1a"e0 Br,e,ins0i., to ret#rn to high s"hool+ There he regresses to a 5;-year-ol! an!, $ro% an a!#lt perspe"ti e, e&perien"es the agonies o$ a!oles"en"e, in"l#!ing "r#!e s"hoolyar! ta#nts an! $ar"i"al wrestling

%at"hes+ In one well-0nown s"ene in the boo0 that is in"orporate! into the play, 1ose$2s pals Miet#s -Mi"hal Zgiet. an! <iphon -1aroslaw To%i"a. !#el with ea"h other, their only weapons grotesA#e $a"ial gri%a"es an! alternately pio#s or obs"ene gest#res+ Mr+ To%i"a an! Mr+ Zgiet per$or%e! $or years with the e&peri%ental Polish theater ense%ble Gar!,ieni"e, whose wor0 is in$l#en"e! by the tea"hings o$ the renowne! Polish-born !ire"tor 1er,y Grotows0i+ <pea0ing abo#t the two per$or%ers2 anti" physi"ality an! pre"ise a"ting style, whi"h reA#ires split-se"on! ti%ing, Mr+ To%i"a e%phasi,e! that 22Go%browi",2s te&t an! o#r gro#n!ing in p#ppet theater lin0 #s to =antor+22 *e was re$erring to the se%inal Polish theater !ire"tor Ta!e#s, =antor, who "reate! an a"ting style inspire! by p#ppet %o e%ent+ In the pro!#"tion o$ 229er!y!#r0e,22 the tight, rapi!-$ire "horeography a%ong the $o#r "hara"ters o$ten positions the% no $arther than three $eet $ro% one another+ 't the sa%e ti%e, the %eaning o$ the te&t is o$ten "on eye! by the %o e%ents an! gest#res o$ the highly ani%ate! a"tors+ 9or e&a%ple, in one passage in the no el, 1ose$ peeps at a yo#ng girl !isrobing B#st be$ore he is as0e! to re"ite a poe% in ia%bi" penta%eter+ *e !e"lai%s? 22Thighs, thighs, thighs+ Thighs, thighsC thighs, thighs + + +22 In Pro isori#% an! =o%pania2s >&pressionisti" interpretation o$ the sa%e s"ene onstage, two pairs o$ bare %ale legs $ra%e! in a win!ow trans%it the %eaning b#t also #pen! it at the sa%e ti%e+ The >nglish ersion o$ the play is by 'llen =#hars0i, the !ire"tor o$ theater st#!ies at <warth%ore College+ Mr+ =#hars0i, who $irst saw 229er!y!#r0e22 in a Polish-lang#age pro!#"tion in Polan! in 56D5, sai!, 22It was one o$ the $#nniest things I e er saw, an! I 0new I wante! to bring it to '%eri"an a#!ien"es+22 'nother a!%irer o$ Go%browi",2s prose, the Ger%an no elist GEnter Grass, wrote 22The Tin Dr#%22 87 years a$ter 229er!y!#r0e22 an! the two wor0s are so%eti%es "o%pare!+ 22The a"tion in 2The Tin Dr#%2 %irrors that in 29er!y!#r0e,2 22 Mr+ =#hars0i sai!, 22b#t it2s a $lip si!e, with Os"ar, who ne er grows #p,22 ers#s 221ose$, "on!e%ne! to ret#rn to a!oles"en"e+22 To Go%browi",, arreste! !e elop%ent in a!oles"en"e, with its heate! an! a%big#o#s se&#al $#%blings, was a $ar "r#eler $ate+ The pro!#"tion o$ 229er!y!#r0e22 tra els to Phila!elphia -/o + 58 at <warth%ore College., <alt La0e City -/o + 87 an! De"+ 5 at Win"hester College., Prin"eton, /+1+ -De"+ : an! D at Prin"eton 3ni ersity Theater., In!ianapolis -9eb+ 58 at In!iana <tate 3ni ersity. an! Bloo%ington, In!+ -9eb+ 5F an! 5; at In!iana 3ni ersity.+ Photo? 1aroslaw To%i"a, le$t, Witol! Ma,#r0iewi", an! Mi"hal Zgiet in the satiri"al 229er!y!#r0e+22 -Bo,ena B#ltowi",. Merilyn 1a"0son has written on !an"e, theater an! Polish "#lt#re $or Dan"e %aga,ine an! The Warsaw Goi"e, an >nglish-lang#age newspaper in Polan!+