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"The Carcass" by Richard Corozine, directing by Hanna Sawka, set design by Jan Sawka, opened December 2, 2002 at the STU Krakow Municipal Theater, Krakow, Poland

Act 2: Standing in the open sunroof, the master car stripper gloats over his past to his apprentice, providing clues to a crooked rise in the criminal ranks

 
 

This was my first production in a fully professional theater and, beyond any of my wildest expectations, the play became extremely controversial. Poles have idealized the United States, thanks to its Cold War role in defeating the former Soviet or Soviet-satellite communist regimes (for which I am naturally as grateful as anyone of Polish or American heritage!). At a moment when the Polish government was making the decision to join the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq, many Poles did not want to hear about Vietnam or about social and racial injustice in America (though I would like to know where there is a place without injustice, because when I do find out, I will move there tomorrow!). Some of these Poles were pretty highly placed, which lead to some real fireworks in the press. While a debuting theatrical director is usually given about a paragraph in newspapers, I had entire pages dedicated to my play, including color photographs. Not everyone had nice things to say about the play, the playwright, or me! I learned quickly, however, that this fills the house like nothing short of a tabloid scandal. Equally passionate supporters of the play and its aesthetic also appeared on the scene. It was exciting, sometimes a little more than I could handle!

This was my first play after attending a film school and making films, so I took a much more multi-media and cinematic approach to the aesthetic of the play. Some people called this “poetic,” but my goal was in fact to simply immerse the audience in an environment as much as possible. I worked with my father, who was the production designer, and the wonderful techies of the theater to create a truly 360-degree environment of sound and light. Coupled with directing the actors to sometimes interact with or confront audience members, it truly broke down the “fourth wall,” which I felt was something that the text was inviting me to do. As I also had the opportunity to be in frequent contact with the playwright, I consulted with him on making sure that I wasn’t pushing the envelope too far with directing decisions. He came, he saw and he liked it when it opened, lucky for me!

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