Pamiętnik Teatralny (Oct 2022)
«Dejmek»: Ćwiczenie z metahistorii
Abstract
This article offers a critical discussion of Magdalena Raszewska’s book Dejmek (Warszawa 2021). The reviewer argues that this biography of Kazimierz Dejmek (1924–2002), theater director and manager, is at the same time a meta-historical source, as it offers insights not only into a particular receding model of theatre and thinking about theater, but also into the categories, concepts, and structures specific to its time. Raszewska precisely describes Dejmek’s patriarchal features and principles, and she presents the history of his theater using terms pertinent to the values cherished by himself and his community. While her use of rumor and denunciation letters to de-mythologize Dejmek’s theater and its backstage practices may at times raise methodological concerns, it undoubtedly contributes to a picture of power and community relations that encourages a critical examination of the past and its protagonist.
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