Gender dynamics in Polish drama after 2000

When discussing Polish theatre scene, critics and scholars often lament the decline of ‘high art’ and the disappearance of ambitious Romantic repertoire from Polish theatres after 1989. Yet, strangely enough none of these ongoing debates identifies such problems as lack of gender equality; devastating effects of anti-abortion law; insufficient network of support for victimised and unemployed women; exceptionally high tolerance for sexist, homophobic and misogynist attitudes in both public and private spheres of activities; as well as the general dominant patriarchal structure of power. This is even more surprising when one reads plays written by female and male writers published (and/or performed) after 2000 as their dramatic worlds address many feminist and gender-related concerns. This study (focusing on gender dynamics) reveals that the gap between the voice of critical and scholarly inquiry and the ‘voice’ of the plays themselves has been widening rather than narrowing. The article addresses this concern with reference to selected plays by Krystyna Kofta, Monika Powalisz, Magdalena Fertacz, Dana Łukasińska as well as Marek Pruchniewski, Krzysztof Bizio, Przemysław Wojcieszek and Robert Bolesto