"I constantly repeat that the Arts have been stolen from us and replaced by commercials. The same has happened with freedom, which has been replaced by liberalism. Much has been taken from us, much replaced with something worse - all such cases border on the criminal..."

"...Fear of the new is often times a trait of people and artists of the older generation, who see little of worth in it. They believe - wrongly - that what is more important than new art works is the perpetual interpretation of what has come before us...I'm no longer interested in a type of theater that is focused on the subtle vibrations of an artist's soul and likes to pick its' ass. We've got a mission and a responsibility towards the world, which is why I don't want the stage and the theater in general to be a means of merely escaping the reality that surrounds us." says Maciej Nowak, director of the Wybrzeże Theater, in this extensive interview about the role of Theater in Civil Society. Q: "The rebirth of theater that took place towards the end of the 90s in Poland brought with it a generational change in theaters; young actors took to the fore. In what way has the Wybrzeże Theater opened itself to new actors, directors and playwrights?" MN: When I hear about someone n