Richard Vetere’s “ZAGŁADA”: A Psychological Crime Thriller Confronts the Ghosts of the Holocaust

The American Theatre of Actors (ATA) is set to host the New York City premiere of ZAGŁADA, a riveting new drama by seasoned playwright and author Richard Vetere. Directed by Maja Wampuszyc and starring Broadway icon Len Cariou, the production runs from October 16 to November 2, offering audiences a profound and timely exploration of historical trauma, justice, and self-preservation.

The Play: “ZAGŁADA” — Annihilation

The title of the play, ZAGŁADA, is a powerful Polish word meaning “annihilation,” used specifically within Poland to refer to the Holocaust — the systematic, state-sponsored genocide of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its collaborators.

Vetere’s play leverages this dark chapter of history to construct a tense, psychological crime thriller. The setting is a police precinct in Queens, New York, where four New Yorkers are unexpectedly brought together. Ninety-year-old Maspeth resident Jerzy Kozlowski has been arrested for shooting at a journalist, Danielle Hooper, who has uncovered Kozlowski’s dark secret: he was a kapo (a prisoner collaborator) in a Nazi Concentration Camp.