Chotkowski, Łukasz

Women often (and men less often) desire to be reduced to just a body. A body – a piece of flesh – a commodity. To willingly surrender, to be discarded, to be a victim of rape and mutilation. At times, this is socially conditioned masochism, the desire to heighten sexual sensations or, as in Leśmian's short poem, an unconscious consequence of a virgin tempting fate. In Burning My Mouth there is a woman consumed with grief for her deceased lover, who was her entire world. She is a woman without characteristics, molded by men, shaping her “Self” under their gaze, touch, feeling.

After the death of her beloved, Maria embarks on a journey of "self-discovery" to bring out her true Self. The extremes she tests on herself are meant to bring her closer to finding the answer to the question “who am I?”. Maria challenges God, Love, Herself. She both uses and is used. She sacrifices her body to save her soul.

"MARIA
Human life is cheap, and people can disappear anonymously.”

The text of the play is based on Georges Bataille's The Dead Man. It incorporates and samples excerpts from Oriana Fallaci's The Rage and the Pride, a Balkan folk tale, and promotional materials from adult film studios.

The play is created in a postmodernistic, “barbarian” aesthetic, referencing the controversial tendency of contemporary theater (postdrama). Artists of postdrama, a notion long established in the West and pioneered by figures such as Heiner Müller, Werner Schwab, Elfriede Jelinek, are referred to as “murderers of sanctity” or simply “barbarians”. It is a theater of risk, a game with the audience and oneself. Combining various conventions and fearlessly crossing the boundaries between acting, dance, music and visual arts, it bravely – albeit unacceptably for some – addresses the greatest problems of contemporary humans and the world around them.
“Not-from-here”, generally speaking, explores the topic of intolerance in its various aspects: cultural, religious, and sexual.
The play is set in an abstract space, referred to by the author as Bastille Square. It features black walls, a platform, a massive wooden table with chairs beside it, and a black lamp above each chair, with a switched-on fan hanging over the table. A little girl dressed in a Polish scout uniform enters the stage and begins singing the Iraqi national anthem. After three minutes, the actors take the stage – three women and three men, all dressed in black, accompanied by a classically dressed clown. They all sit down at the table, unroll the scripts, drink something, talk, laugh – creating a purely private situation.
The lights go out. From this point on, spotlights focus only on the individuals participating in the scene.
The leitmotiv in the play is the scene of the clown entering a store to hang a poster advertising circus performances, but each time he encounters a member of a different nation: an Arab, an Indian, and a Jew. Their responses vary, but in each reaction, there is space for mutual prejudice, intolerance, and an element of hostile alienation. All of this is portrayed through short dialogues, and with the author’s distinctive distanced humor that may not be immediately grasped.
The text is characterized by a high degree of conventionality, deconstruction of both the plot and even individual subplots, mixing of various elements, eclecticism, a substantial dose of provocation, including a drastically depicted scene of absurd and purposeless violence. The author references various cultural and religious associations; there is even a crucified Christ speaking English, as well as the Marquis de Sade announcing the revolution.
A controversial play, at times very much so. It requires a director with a formal vision (scenes of cruelty!) and naturally, a sense of rhythm that can be translated into images.

Using a simple and vulgar language, Chotkowski gives the audience a realistic insight into the life of the street people.  The action takes place amongst the juveniles. The author presents a chain of impressive pictures of the young losers who live nowhere and deal with stealing and mugging. Their rudeness towards each other results from a state of being lost. Their emotions are childish.

The boys say that honesty doesn’t pay. This slogan has been preserved in their families for generations. Violence, drugs and alcohol make their existence a bit more colourful. One of the characters robs lonely ladies in the street. He treats his girlfriend Olka as if she was his property, not a human being. She visits him in prison. Now he can notice her advanced pregnancy. This is the only time he uses the words of love. All characters are being presented as rotten and aggressive individuals; however, in the critical moments they are able to show each other solidarity or some warm feelings.