1 Jan Kubik Rutgers University March 2006 Avant-garde theater contra state socialism: what was global before the era of globalization (in Tadeusz Kantor’s theater)? 1. An event. 1 Imagine a large congress hall, full of serious, ageing men in formal suits (very few women); professors, writers, artists, and senior politicians. They present and listen to a predictable series of speeches and learned presentations. And then a speaker wearing a light sports jacket, no tie, with a shock of unruly dark hair, enters the stage somewhat haltingly, looks around apprehensively and begins rearranging the lectern and the battery of mikes. As he pushes the lectern and some chairs out of his way, the sound system complains with awful, screeching noises. Some people begin to move around restlessly, straining to see what is happening; others abruptly end their cigarette breaks and rush back to the hall. His impromptu stage-design innovation completed, the speaker begins his presentation: I have never been behind a lectern and being behind one is against my convictions. I do not like this stage design. I am not going to feel well here, and I must feel good. This spoils my sense of order…. (Kongres 2000:123) 1 An earlier versions of this essay were presented at Workshop on the Cultural Politics of Globalization and Community in East Central Europe, Budapest, Collegium Budapest, organized by the University of Michigan Center for Russian and East European Studies, May 12-15; 2004 Graduate Student Conference, Russian and East European Studies, University of Pittsburgh, March 5-6, 2004; and Workshop on Protest Politics and Social Movements, Center for Comparative European Studies, Rutgers University, April 30, 2004. Amy Linch offered excellent substantial and editorial comments; Alla Rosenfeld and Artur Uznanski shared with me their incomparable expertise. I wish to thank you the Jane Vorhees Zimmerli Museum of Art, particularly its Norton Dodge and Nancy Dodge Collection of Nonconformist Art from the Soviet Union (Alla Rosenfeld, Curator; Jane A. Sharp, Research Curator) for years of stimulating cooperation without which this project would never materialize.