On March 27 and 28, the first performances of the play “Moja miłość” (“My Love”) — a joint work by Belarusian and Polish artists — took place in Kraków. The production explores the nature of dictatorship and the ideology of the “Russian world” through the prism of the existence of the Queer community, which in Belarus today faces the threat of criminalization.
Theatre as a Response to Repression
The idea for the play emerged in 2025 during the work of a Belarusian-Polish team at the “Simple Words” драматургическая laboratory in Lublin, curated by Raman Paŭloŭski. The starting point for the authors was the dramatic situation in Belarus, where a law is being prepared that would effectively ban any Queer symbolism — from clothing to works of art.
The creators of the play set out to understand the reasons for the hatred that dictators such as Lukashenka and Putin feel toward the Queer community, because it is precisely this rejection of “otherness” that lies at the foundation of Russia’s aggressive policy and its ideology.
“The Strength of the Weak” and a Sense of Humor
Despite its sharp subject matter, “Moja miłość” is not a documentary chronicle of suffering. The authors deliberately reject images of “victims.”
“It is important for us to show not victims, but, on the contrary, their strength. The theme of the play is the strength of the weak. And the strength of the weak is also a sense of humor. It is a funny play,” they note.
At the center of the plot is the “ghost of a dictator,” who cannot die and is always reborn in new forms, infecting society with dreams of collective violence. This ghost encounters a free Queer artist, and their clash turns into a strange bond of love and hatred. The authors propose looking at this conflict as a universal confrontation between totalitarianism and the free individual.
Who Are the Authors?
The production is directed by Maciej Gorczyński.
Script and dramaturgy: Jerzy Duszewski, Maciej Garczyński, Adam Krępski.
Music: Piotr Korzeniak.
Cast: Jerzy Duszewski, Adam Krępski.
The next performances of the play at the BARAKAH Theatre will take place on March 29 and April 12 at 19:00.
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