JW: You are a director who is very openly in favor of political speech in theatre, and you have been able to be the artistic director at the Miejski Theatre which, according to the local authorities, must primarily entertain the public. Is it possible to entertain the public with political theatre?
WK: I never assumed that we will only mae strictly political plays. But, at the same time, I do repeat that theatre as an art form - whether people like it or not - is always political, and proof of this has existed since ancient times. I quickly learned that in Poland, people are afraid of this word, because it has negative connotations for them; it reminds them of parades or propaganda. Of course, this understanding of politics is a result of our history. But even if we use a different word, it doesn't change the fact that theatre that is seperated from a reflection of the context in which it functions is merely a shallow artistic form. It is high time to recognize that making political theatre doesn't mean you're directing while waving a flag. All work in theatre always takes place on two levels - the social context and the artistic context. There are many factors to be taken into account when determining which of these contexts is to be given a more prominent platform in a play. In