ABSTRACT
Clearly Polish student theater from its very beginnings has been an example of an ancillary cultural institution. Student theater is called student theater not because it is created by the students, but because as an ancillary cultural institution it is supported by the Polish Student Organization. Inasmuch as student theaters were officially tolerated by the new government, their productions were an asset for this government, as indeed were all revitalized Polish cultural activities. The Union of Polish Youth (UPY) was created to be a transmission belt of the Party's ideological vision, and subsequently, the UPY viewed and made demands upon cultural groups such as Polish student theater in accord with the Party ideological vision. A directive of UPY as published in its official organ elucidates the nature of these artist groups: Cultural groups must be of and for the masses.
