Theatre of Dreams and the 1989 Polish Breakthrough

This volume offers the first English-language study of Teatr Snów, one of Poland's most experienced and visually striking street theatre companies.Established in Gdańsk in 1986 during the turbulent final years of communist rule, Teatr Snów developed a distinctive oneiric aesthetic that reflects Poland's pursuit of independence and the transformative breakthrough of 1989. The book explores the company's recognizable and coherent poetics, centered on existential questions of human positioning in the world, and characterized by impressive large-scale visual imagery that resembles living paintings. Through detailed analysis of the ensemble's productions from its founding to the present day, the study situates Teatr Snów within the cultural, political, and artistic contexts of post-communist Poland and Eastern Europe. Drawing on the history of Gdańsk—a city emblematic of Polish resistance and freedom—the book demonstrates how the company's evolution mirrors broader social and political transformations across the region over recent decades.This book is essential reading for scholars and students of theatre and performance studies, European cultural history, and post-communist studies, as well as anyone interested in street theatre and visual performance.