What was a real woman like in the works of Taras Shevchenko? A frenzied witch? Or perhaps Kateryna, disheartened by her fate? Or Hanna from The Servant, weary in her quiet maternal love?
She was diverse, real—just as she was two hundred years ago, and as she is now.
It is this very image that is particularly cherished by the actors of the Ivan Bernatsky Ukrainian Drama Theater in New York. This year, to mark the 211th anniversary of the birth of the Kobzar, they presented the play Woman. Mother. Eternity. The performance took place at the Ukrainian National Home in Manhattan.
At its core were Shevchenko’s poems The Witch and The Servant, with the incomparable Lyudmyla Hrabovska in the leading role.
The play’s director, Ivan Bernatsky, chose to focus this production on the monologue format. “Why this approach?” I ask him. “To ensure the audience fully immerses itself in the richness of Shevchenko’s words. Too often, spectators get distracted by an actor’s movements, gestures, or stage decorations. Here, in the dimly lit hall, you are face to face with The Witch: at first, you loathe her with all your might, but then you begin to sympathize. And you reflect…”
Why can’t the rich man sleep -
Grey-haired and well-fed?
Why can’t the poor man sleep -
The old orphan?
One thinks of how to
Afford a grand funeral toll,
The other, how to finish
Building his palace sooner.
“Then I will rest,” he says—
But only in his grave…
And the other will perish
Somewhere, nameless.
Both will finally rest,
Neither will give it thought.
The poor man is forgotten,
And the other is despised.
The old man cannot sleep in the field or at home,
Yet he must live out his days somehow…
A classic story of how society destroys those who do not conform to its norms. This has been, is, and always will be relevant.
Then, The Servant took the stage. “Then, as now, in the 21st century, many women are forced to raise children alone, working exhausting jobs or even leaving for foreign lands to secure their children’s future,” says Lyudmyla Hrabovska, who portrayed Hanna.
Indeed, many Ukrainian women, like Hanna, sacrifice their own happiness for the well-being of their children. That evening, the hall was filled with women, and at some point, I believe, many of them saw themselves in Hanna—recognized their own struggles, opened their hearts to the heroine.
Lyudmyla Hrabovska began her theatrical career in Ukraine and continued it in America. “It’s like a breath of fresh air—to do what you love and bring joy to the audience. Every heroine is a part of my inner and outer world, which I discover for myself and share with viewers. And I am deeply grateful to the Ukrainian theater for this opportunity,” she shares.
Another unique feature of the Ukrainian Drama Theater is that its director, Ivan Bernatsky, always takes the stage alongside the actors. This time, he chose to deliver Shevchenko’s prophetic words from To the Dead, the Living, and the Unborn.... No additional commentary is needed—just listen:
…And you rush abroad,
Seeking good fortune, sacred wealth,
Freedom! Freedom!
…Look upon this quiet paradise,
Your homeland,
Love it with a sincere heart,
This vast ruin…
Embrace one another, my brothers,
I beg you, I implore you!
Ivan Bernatsky founded the Ukrainian Drama Theater several decades ago. He does not keep count of the plays staged or the number of spectators, but he loves to joke: “Don’t hold back your praise—it gives us strength to create.”
One of the maestro’s hobbies is collecting authentic Ukrainian clothing. He has been gathering these pieces for nearly 50 years from all corners of Ukraine. During the performance, Bernatsky gifted 35 costumes to Halyna Bohan, the theater’s manager. He explained his choice: “This woman will bring the collection to life, presenting it across America and perhaps even worldwide. And in each costume, there is a piece of my homeland—something the world must come to know more and more.”
Author: Tamara Zaiats