Kazimierz Braun earned his Master in Polish Literature at Poznan University, Poland (1958), and Master in Directing, at Warsaw School of Drama (1962). He earned Ph.D. in Letters at Poznan University (1971), Ph. D. in Theatre (in Poland: habilitacja) at Wroclaw University, and Ph. D. in Directing (in Poland: habilitacja) at Warsaw School of Drama (1988). He became Full Professor with Tenure at University at Buffalo, USA (1989), and Professor, Polish State Title (1992).
He made his debut as professional theatre director in1961, and as professional television director in 1962. He directed in Teatr Polski, Warsaw, Teatr Wybrzeze, Gdansk, Teatr Slowackiego, Krakow, Teatr Solskiego, Tarnow, as well as in Canada, Germany, Ireland, and the USA. He was Artistic Director of Teatr Osterwy, Lublin (1967-1971), and General and Artistic Director of the same (1971-1974). He was General and Artistic Director of Teatr Wspolczesny (Contemporary Theatre) in Wroclaw (1975-1984). He was fired by the Communist authorities because of his oppositional activities. Since 1985, he worked and lived in the USA. He directed at The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles, Chicago Actors Ensemble, Kavinoky Theatre in Buffalo, and academically. To his most outstanding works cycles of shows were being ranked according to. of pieces C. Norwid (13 shows), T. Rozewicz (19 shows), Shakespeare'a (12 shows in tongues Polish and English), and Grandfathers A. Mickiewicz (twice) and Plague according to. A. Camus and Anna Livia according to. J. Joyce'a and other. He taught at Wroclaw University, New York University, Swarthmore College, University of California Santa Cruz, and University at Buffalo. He had workshops for directors in Great Britain, Ireland, Poland, and the United States. He cooperated with Polish companies in Canada and the USA.
In his theatre works Kazimierz Braun calls upon the traditions of Appia, Craig, Wyspianski, and Osterwa. He creates productions based on his own idea of „Theatre of Communion” which strives for transformation of both actors and spectators into one creative group. He achieves that by setting special inter-human relations during the action, and building the performance’s space unifying all present. As prose and drama writer, he uses the style and means of “Historical Fiction”, with real events and characters of real persons as a foundation for a complex symbolic and spiritual edifice. In his theatre history books he focuses on the relationships between aesthetic and both social and political conditions and circumstances of theatre life.
He translated from English, French, and Italian into Polish, and from Polish, French, and Russian into English.
His father, Juliusz Braun, was Doctor of Law, Professor of Ecology, Catholic Activist, and Stalinist’s political prisoner. His mother was Elzbieta Korwin-Szymanowska. Both died in 1990. He married Zofia Reklewska, writer and theatre historian.Their children are: dr. Monika Braun, writer and academic, Grzegorz Braun, filmmaker and writer, and dr. Justyna Braun, academic. Their garnd daughters are: Anna, Joanna, Aniela, Zofia and Elzbieta.
Theatre and academic career
Assistant to the Director, Teatr Wspolczesny, Warszawa, 1958-1961Director, Teatr Wybrzeze, Gdansk, 1961-1964Director, Teatr Polski, Warszawa, 1962-1964Director, Teatr Horzycy, Torun, 1965-1967Artistic Director, Teatr Osterwy, Lublin, 1967-1972General Manager & Artistic Director, Teatr Osterwy, Lublin, 1972-1974General Manager & Artistic Director, Teatr Wspolczesny, Wroclaw, 1975-1984Associate Professor, Wroclaw University, 1975-1985Associate Professor, Krakow/Wroclaw School of Drama, 1977-1985Visiting Professor, New York University, 1985Visiting Professor, Swarthmore College, 1985-1986Regents Professor, University of California, 1986Associate Professor, University at Buffalo, 1987-1989Professor, University at Buffalo, 1989-2015Professor, Polish State Title, 19921961, Karol, On the Sea, Strip-tease, Mrozek, Gdansk1962, The Ring of a Great Lady, Norwid, Warsaw (also Television Theatre, 1963)1962, Two Theatres, Szaniawski, Warsaw (also Television Theatre, 1972)1963, Caucasian Chock Circle, Brecht, Gdansk1963, Romeo and Julia, Shakespeare, Warszawa1965, The Wedding, Wyspianski, Torun1967, November’s Night, Wyspianski, Gdansk1968, Hamlet, Shakespeare, Lublin (also Wroclaw, 1985)1968, Kleopatra and Cezar, Norwid, Lublin (also Television Theatre, 1968)1970, Interrupted Act, Rozewicz, Lublin, (also Television Theatre, 1970)1970, Behind the Wings, Norwid, Krakow, (also Television Theatre, 1966)1971, The Ashes, Zeromski, directors’ adaptation, Television Theatre1972, Card Index, Rozewicz (also Sofia, Bulgaria, 1978; South Bend, Indiana,1982)1972, The Deliverance, Wyspianski, Lublin1973, The Old Woman, Rozewicz, Lublin (also Television Theatre, 1976; Dublin, Ireland, 1983)1976, Anna Livia, Joyce, Wroclaw1977, Operetta, Gombrowicz, Wroclaw1978, The Forefathers’ Eve, Mickiewicz (full text), Wroclaw1979, Birth Rate, Rozewicz, directors’ adaptation, Wroclaw, (also Chicago, 1989)1982, The Forefathers’ Eve, Mickiewicz, director’s adaptation, Wroclaw1982, Twelfth Night, Shakespeare, Wroclaw (also Esslingen, Germany, 1982)1983, The Plague, Camus, director’s adaptation, Wroclaw (also Chicago, 1988)1984, The Trap, Rozewicz, Wroclaw1986, Rhinoceros, Ionesco, Minneapolis1987, The Hunger Artist, Rozewicz, Buffalo1988, The Shoemakers, Witkacy, Los Angeles1989, King Lear, Shakespeare, Buffalo1990, Immigrant Queen, Braun, Toronto1991, As You Like It, Shakespeare, Buffalo1995, Tango, Mrozek, Knoxville, Tennessee1996, A Man for All Seasons, Bolt, Buffalo1999, Richard III, Shakespeare, Buffalo2003, Europe, Jerzy Braun, Tarnow2004, Paderewski’s Children, Braun, Buffalo2006, The Fall of a Stone House, Brandstaetter, Tarnow2006, Card Index Scattered, Rozewicz, Buffalo2008, The Tales of Pola Negri, Braun, Toronto2010, The Book of Christopher Columbus, Claudel, Steubenville, Ohio2011, Father Maximilian’s Cell, Braun, Tarnow2012, Ordonka’s Mysteries, Braun, Toronto2012, The Power and the Glory, Greene, director’s adaptation, Buffalo2013, The Tempest, Shakespeare, BuffaloIn 1961-2014, 154 plays directed
1967, Teofil Trzcinski, with z Zofia Reklewska-Braun, PIW, Warszawa1971, Cyprian Norwid’s Theatre Without Theatre, PIW, Warszawa1972, Theatre of Communion, Wyd. Literackie, Krakow1975, New Theatre in the World, WaiF, Warszawa1979, The Second Reform of Theatre, Ossolienum, Wroclaw1982, Theatre Space, PWN, Warszawa1984, The Great Reform of Theatre, Wroclaw, Ossolineum1994, Polish Theatre 1939-1989, Semper, Warszawa1996, A History of Polish Theatre 1939-1989, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut2000, Theatre Directing, Mellen Press, Lewiston, New York2003, A Concise History of Polish Theatre, Mellen Press, Lewiston, New York2005, A Concise History of American Theatre, Wyd. UAM, Poznan2010, Lady Designer. Jadwiga Pozakowska, Muzeum Narodowe, Gdansk2011, Brothers Adamowicz,with z Zofia Reklewska-Braun, Wyd. Uniw. Rzeszowskiego2013, My Rozewicz’s Theatre, Wyd. Uniw. Rzeszowskiego2014, My Norwid’s Theatre, Wyd. Uniw. RzeszowskiegoIn 1967-2014, 21 scholarly books
1989, The Monument, A Novel, Instytut Literacki, Paryz1993, Helena, the Story of Modjeska, A One-woman Drama, High Park Press, Toronto1996, Farewell to Alaska, A Novel, PAX, Warszawa1996, The Story of Norwid, A One-man Drama, Bernardinum, Pelplin1999, Day of Witness, A Novel, Wyd. 4K, Bytom2003, A Bird on Stilts, Short Stories, Wyd. A. Marszalek, Torun2005, Day of Witness, A Novel, (enlarged version), Wyd. Sw. Wojciecha, Poznan2006, Radiation, A Play, Archiwum Emigracji, Torun2008, Ten Days in Peoples’ Poland, Memoires, Norbertinum, Lublin2011, Maximilianus, A Play, Wyd. Bratni Zew, Krakow2011, Tarnow’s Wind of Freedom, A Play, Wyd. Biblioteka Publiczna, Tarnow2013, Good Priests, with Zofia Reklewska-Braun, Bernardinum, PelplinIn 1989-2011, 20 literary works (novels, poetry, short stories, and memoires)
1963, Award for Director, Caucasian Chock Circle, Brecht, Torun Theatre Festival1964, Award for Director, Enchanted Circle, Rydel, Television Theatre Festival1965, Award for Director, Actor, Norwid, 1965, Television Theatre Festival1965, Award for Director, Actor, Norwid, Kalisz Theatre Festival1966, Award for Director, The Wedding, Wyspianski, Torun Theatre Festival1970, Award for Director, Interrupted Act, Rozewicz, Kalisz Theatre Festival1979, Award for the Mise-en-Scene, Operetta, Gombrowicz, International Theatre Festival, Sitges, Spain1980, „Golden Fredro”, Award for Director, Birth Rate, Rozewicz, Wroclaw1980, Japanese Foundation Award1984, „Golden Fredro” Award for Director, The Plague, Camus, Wroclaw1985, Independent Culture Award, Poland1990, The Guggenheim Foundation Award, USA1996, Award for Director, Best Production in Buffalo, A Man for All Seasons, Bolt2000, Aurum Literary Award, Toronto, Canada2001, The Fulbright Foundation Award, USA2003, The Turzanski Foundation Award, Canada2004, Minister of Education Award, Poland2005, Polish-American Congress Annual Award2011, „Golden Awl”, Wien, Austria1971, National Culture Badge of Merits1976, Medal for Educational Theatre1978, Golden Cross of Merits1997, Chivalry Cross of the Polish Order of Merits2005, Polish Culture Medal of Merits2005, Officer’s Cross of the Polish Order of Merits2007, „Gloria Artis” Golden Medal2011, Commander’s Cross of the Polish Order of Merits
