Open your eyes’: Olga Tokarczuk’s short stories inspire Polish Theatre play
Teatr Polski in Warsaw is currently presenting “Open Your Eyes,” a theatrical production directed by Igor Gorzkowski. The play draws its creative inspiration from Olga Tokarczuk’s 2001 collection, “Playing on Many Drums,” specifically the stories “Open Your Eyes, You’re Already Dead” and “Dress Rehearsal.”
A Leap Into Fiction
The first narrative centers on a passionate reader who consumes crime novels as a way to find order within a chaotic world. As the plot of her book slows, the Reader grows impatient and physically steps into the stylized, fictional reality she is reading.
Actress Anna Cieślak, who portrays the Reader, describes the character as the driving spiral of the production. The play functions as a crime comedy, leading the audience through a playful meander of the imagination that gradually tightens in tempo.
Flawed Characters and Literary Tropes
The world the Reader enters is populated by characters who embody the worst human traits. According to actress Ewa Makomaska, who plays Ulrika, the characters are petty, childish, and consumed by jealousy and self-love.
Director Igor Gorzkowski explains that these figures are built on vivid templates similar to those found in Agatha Christie’s crime novels. The plot involves a struggle for succession regarding the “throne” of the most widely read crime writer.
While the character of Ulrika features a distinctive hairstyle reminiscent of Olga Tokarczuk, Makomaska clarifies that the role is an inspiration and a “wink” to the author rather than a direct portrayal of Tokarczuk herself.
Confronting the Apocalypse
The production also explores a second story involving a couple living in mutual hostility. Their avoidance of one another is cut short by a mysterious explosion and a declared apocalypse that shuts people inside their homes.
Gorzkowski suggests that this forced proximity intensifies their conflict-ridden relationship, making confrontation inevitable. He notes that although the text was written in 2001, it describes the reality of the pandemic period with painful precision.
The Common Thread
Despite their different narrative structures and levels of tension, Gorzkowski identifies a central link between the two stories. Both focus on characters immersed in a state of hopelessness and normality, forcing them to respond to those conditions in distinct ways.
As the production continues at Teatr Polski, it may encourage audiences to rediscover the courage and space provided by reading. The play’s exploration of imagination could serve as a catalyst for viewers to seek distance from today’s fast-paced world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is “Open Your Eyes” being performed?
The play is currently showing at Teatr Polski in Warsaw.
Who directed the production?
The production was directed by Igor Gorzkowski.
What is the primary theme linking the two stories in the play?
The stories are linked by the condition of the main characters, who are immersed in hopelessness and normality and must find ways to respond to that reality.
Do you believe that diving into fictional worlds can help a person find order in their own chaotic life?