Plays by Pope John Paul II

Karol Wojtyla, better known to the world as Pope John Paul II, devoted a good deal of his early manhood pursing a career in the theatre. While his chief interest was acting, he also began to write plays. They grew out of his experiences with Mieczyslaw Kotlarczk and the Rhapsodic Theatre. The group began performing clandestinely during the Nazi occupation of Poland as a way of preserving their national literature. They strove to create a uniquely Polish theatre, a "theatre of imagination, a theatre of the inner self." This striving is very much at the core of Wojtyla's plays.

Job (opens October 9)- combines the dramatic form of ancient Greek Tragedy with the story of Job as metaphor for the sufferings of the Polish People during the occupation.

Jeremiah (opens October 26) - combines an idealistic view of Poland's role in history, derived from Adam Mickiewicz and other 19th Century romantic poets, with a brutally honest appraisal of the actions and events that led to the country's then-current captivity. Wojtyla mixes elements of the Old Testament with 16th Century Polish History to create a truly national drama.

The Storm Theatre
145 W 46th Street
Tickets: $20