Revisiting Comedies of the Skamander Group

Abstract The oeuvre of an interwar literary group called Skamander includes many comedies, yet scholars of Polish literature have, so far, devoted less attention to them than to the Skamandrites’ poetry. This article begins with the recognition that the comedies of Antoni Słonimski, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska, and Marian Hemar deserve closer attention and in-depth investigation. Staged by theatres in Poland and abroad, their plays were popular during the interwar period, and they continue to be performed nowadays. I argue that members of the Skamander group wrote plays for several reasons, including their passion for theatre, their interest in the cabaret, and their appreciation of the cultural function of comedy. Their comedies took up various current topics and used diverse techniques. I propose a thematic and dramaturgical classification of these plays, indicating innovations introduced and traditional devices retained. In particular, I examine ways of developing plots and situations, building intrigue, and selecting the type of finale that defines the main message of a play.