You see a man crying. How does it make you feel? What comes to mind when you pass a man sobbing on the street? And do you ever come across such men? Male tears are rarely displayed in public; they seem to be a scarce commodity. But what about private tears? Can they serve as the foundation for a theatrical narrative?
"Boys Cry" is not just the title of the play, navigating between a spoiler and an obvious statement; it is also a message that needs to be reiterated as frequently as possible. Male tears exist. Furthermore, we all need them. As a society, we need men who can express their emotions.
That is why we aim to look closely at those moments when we attempt, both in front of ourselves and others, to deny the existence of male tears. We want to explore the reasons behind these denials. We want to examine those dams of fear, discomfort, shame, rigidity, and clenched teeth that grow between the cause to cry, the stimulus to cry, and the flowing tears.
We also seek to collectively search for cracks in those dams. An emotional gathering among men does not have to conform to stereotypes of drinking session or competition. It can be an exchange of experiences, an opportunity to regard one another with understanding and acceptance of weaknesses, failures, and, at times, even personal catastrophes. It is a chance to uncover new depths of sensitivity necessary for living—and, on occasion, necessary to salvage lives.
text and direction: Michał Buszewicz
set design and costumes: Doris Nawrot
music: Baasch
choreography: Katarzyna Sikora
light design: Aleksandr Prowaliński
video: Michał Dobrucki
assistant director: Jowita Mazurkiewicz
assistant set designer: Olga Ciężkowska
stage manager / prompter: Barbara Ojrzeńska
cast: Waldemar Barwiński, Robert T. Majewski, Henryk Niebudek, Mateusz Górski (guest appearance) / Piotr Siwkiewicz / Michał Balicki (guest appearance), Paweł Tomaszewski, Karol Wróblewski
Show 08-09-2023 is presented during The Generation After Showcase. Get in touch: showcase@nowyteatr.org