The St. Joseph the Betrothed parish church auditorium in Chicago hosted the premiere of the tragicomedy, which was staged by the Ukrainian Drama Theater Gomin.
This was reported by the Surma newspaper with reference to Ruslana Romaniuk.
"Even minor misunderstandings can destroy a family. And if we look at it in a broader sense, may God grant us peace in our families and in our state," said Vasyl Mytnychuk, the theater's director, summarizing the play's main idea.
According to Mytnychuk, the production, based on a novel by Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky, is the thirteenth in the theater's repertoire since its establishment in 2008. Preparations lasted six months, with two rehearsals a week. The actors are not professionals but parishioners: They are Ukrainians who work ordinary jobs in their daily lives, but they are sincerely passionate about theater. Serhiy Gerzhyk directed the play.
It should be noted that the stage version of The Kaidashev Family falls under the genre of tragicomedy. Humor is intertwined with bitterness, and domestic quarrels between relatives are intertwined with deep pain due to a lack of understanding. The cast includes Yaroslav Kupchak, Galyna Holovko, Roman Stefantsiv, Olga Oliynyk, Andriy Hrechanyuk, and Khrystyna Shcherbin. A team of parishioners and volunteers worked on the scenery, lighting, music, and costumes.
The final gesture of the performance was the children handing out real pears to the audience, symbolizing hope, as the director said, "Let all evil dry up along with the old trees."
According to the director, the Goodman Theater is willing to perform the play in other Chicago communities if there is interest. All funds raised during the premiere were donated to the Hero Defense Fund at St. Joseph the Betrothed Parish.
Maksym Orel, one of the wounded Ukrainian defenders who is currently undergoing treatment in the United States, was in the audience and received words of gratitude, flowers, and sincere hugs.
Photo: Petro Kovtun
Author: Inna Mikhno