The tour of the play "How the Storm of Evil Comes" by the Kyiv Theater on Podil has successfully ended in the USA - a production by American director Richard Nelson, dedicated to the founder of modern Ukrainian theater Lesya Kurbas, Ukrainian actresses and the current war in Ukraine.
This was reported by the press service of the Theater on Podil.
The plot focuses on the events of the 1920s, when Lesya Kurbas and his troupe were also accompanied by war. But in this production he himself is not there - only his artistic influence and the memories of the actresses.
“Thirty-year-old Les Kurbas, the founder of modern Ukrainian theater, takes a group of young actors from war-torn Kyiv to the countryside. There, they put on plays in exchange for food tickets. One of these productions is “Macbeth” – the first interpretation of Shakespeare on the Ukrainian stage. While Kurbas and part of the troupe go to a play by local actors, staged in their honor, six young women – four actresses, a pianist and a dancer – stay home with their children. Over a modest dinner prepared with the proceeds, they talk, joke, mock themselves, laugh, rehearse dances from the play – all the while experiencing pain, confusion, fear and an urgent need to be together,” the play’s plot says.
As Nelson emphasized, it was an incredible experience not only for the Ukrainian actors, but also for The Public’s Shiva Theater itself.
“My goal was to write a play about six young women who put on a play in the middle of war, to be performed by six young women who put on a play in the middle of war,” explained Richard Nelson.
He noted that it was especially important for the American audience to see this play performed by Ukrainian actresses. This made it possible to feel that even in the extremely difficult conditions of war, deep theatrical art continues to be born in Ukraine, which touches the heart and speaks of humanity.
“WHEN THE HURLYBURLY’S DONE” is a wonderful artistic response by Richard Nelson to the art of a brave and heroic nation, Ukraine,” Public Theater director Oscar Eustis commented on the premiere.
The play impressed American audiences – all tickets were sold out, and actresses from Kyiv, including Kateryna Chikina, Mariia Demenko, Yulia Brusentseva, Natalka Kobizka, Olena Korzeniuk and Maria Kos, represented Ukraine in the United States with dignity.
“The strongest argument in favor of theater today: Richard Nelson’s deeply moving play “When the Hurlyburly’s Done” brings to the stage six Ukrainian actresses who tell the story of the production of the play in war-torn Ukraine of the 1920s. And what is most impressive – this play was created in war-torn modern Kyiv,” wrote the famous New York Times critic, American journalist and George Gene Nate Award winner Ben Brantley in his review.
After the premiere, a conversation with the audience took place, in which American screenwriter and film producer, actor Liev Schreiber, who has supported Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion and began to study the Ukrainian language, took part.
The head of the Podil Theater, Bohdan Beniuk, said that the idea for the play was born after Nelson saw a poster about Kurbas in Kyiv and wanted to tell this story in a new way. And he notes that Nelson has already staged a play at the Podil Theater: in 2024 - "Tusculan Conversations" - about power and abuse of power in ancient Rome.
"Richard Nelson's plays made a certain breakthrough in our theater and it is very important that the audience became interested in his work, because he has extensive practice, loves directing, and is extremely well-versed in psychology," Beniuk emphasized.
The performance was made possible with the support of Barbara Broccoli and the Dana & Albert R. Broccoli Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, the Marquit-Grieser Fund and Mellon Foundation.
Two weeks — like a lifetime, full of events, meetings and new impressions.
“Our girls played 10 performances, talked with a large audience, among whom were many Ukrainians – and it was especially heartwarming! We visited Hunter Collage New York, where we had discussions with teachers about the play, acting and creativity during the war. We appreciate that Hollywood stars, including Alec Baldwin, Liev Schreiber, Jesse Eisenberg, saw our performance and actively joined the discussions, expressing their support and admiration for Ukrainians. The New York Times wrote about our trip!”, the theater’s press service emphasized.
Photo: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times, Charlotte Bydwell
Author: Inna Mikhno