Dramaty Zebrane. Collected Plays. Tom 2. Volume 2. Teatr Niezgody. Theater of Discord

＂Dramaty Zebrane. Collected Plays. Teatr Niezgody. The Theater of Discord＂ is the second volume of a collection of dramas by Kazimierz Braun. It contains five plays in Polish and English recounting stories about people who did not agree to enslavement, to restraining human freedom in both spiritual and practical dimensions, including political considerations. ＂The Wind of Independence＂ presents the struggle for the liberation of the city of Tarnów from the unwanted rule of Austria in 1918, when Poland regained its independence after 123 years of being divided between Austria, Russia and Prussia. The author’s family played a vital role in the independence movement in Tarnów. The play ＂Lanckorońska＂ tells the story of Karolina Lanckorońska’s opposition to totalitarian regimes-the Soviet’s and the Nazis’-during World War II. The heroine, a noted art historian and a Polish patriot of the highest ethical standards, became a soldier in the underground Polish Home Army and was incarcerated by both hostile invaders. ＂The Internees＂ and ＂The Boycott＂ are a testimony to the resistance of Poles against the introduction of martial law in 1981, a totalitarian action ostensibly designed to protect the country from a potential Soviet invasion, but actually having a purpose of destroying the anti-communist opposition and ending the peaceful revolution of the Solidarity movement. Both plays present a range of moral choices made by their protagonists, including heroes and cowards, patriots and traitors. Finally, ＂The Quarantine＂ depicts the resistance to the enslavement imposed on people in the times of the so-called global ＂pandemic＂ of the 2020s, that was nothing but a global power grab by enemies of humanity. While focusing on different periods of Polish history, ＂The Boycott＂ and ＂The Quarantine＂ portray moral dilemmas and difficult choices to be made by actors, faced with options of resisting or succumbing to economic and political challenges imposed on their careers by totalitarian government policies. Kazimierz Braun is a director, writer and scholar. He was artistic director and general manager of professional theatres in Poland. He directed in Poland, the United States, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and other countries. He taught at Polish and American universities. He published several books on theatre history and theory, as well as novels, dramas, and poetry. His plays have been staged in Poland, USA, Canada, and Ireland.