Witches of Ukraine take center stage in sold-out show : NPR

KYIV, Ukraine — Witches are having a second in Ukraine. Each feared and revered, these beings are thought to own supernatural powers that can be utilized for good and unhealthy. Over the centuries, witches have been blamed for every kind of issues occurring to Ukrainians: droughts, floods, ailments — even falling in love and beginning wars.

Now they’ve taken heart stage in a darkish musical comedy titled The Witch of Konotop, with performances promoting out all summer season on the historic Ivan Franko Theater within the capital Kyiv.

Folklore dropped at life

Based mostly on the 1833 satirical fiction by Ukrainian author Hryhorii Kvitka-Osnovianenko, the story pokes enjoyable at Ukrainian literature’s tendency to give attention to disappointment and tragedy. It takes place within the 1600s and follows the primary character, Zabryokha, a Cossack army chief, in his unsuccessful journey to put off witches whom he blames for his misfortunes.

All through the fast-paced, witty hour-and-a-half manufacturing, the viewers is handled to fantastically detailed Ukrainian folks costumes and beautiful vocals set to conventional Ukrainian music.

There may be rejection, there’s love.

And there’s, in fact, a witch hunt.

Moreover, in a twist that echoes immediately, the primary characters obtain orders to affix a marketing campaign to fend off an overreaching czarist Russia.

One play, many takeaways

Life below a sinister Russian risk may be the obvious theme from this play. But, a fast survey of the forged and viewers at a current efficiency reveals the manufacturing’s true flexibility.

“Don’t kill girls, don’t mess with girls,” says actress Kateryna Artemenko, who performs one of many townswomen mistaken for a witch. She spoke to NPR backstage earlier than the present.

“No, it isn’t a joke, in fact,” Artemenko says. “The principle message is about individuals making an attempt to idiot their future, however future will discover them.”

Actor Nazar Zadniprovskyi, who performs the ill-fated Cossack commander Zabryokha, views this play as a lesson in avoiding duty. The 2 lead characters keep away from going to army drills so that they don’t need to go to battle, he says, and many individuals see a parallel with Ukrainian males dodging conscription immediately.

Zadniprovskyi additionally attributes the play’s recognition to the clips which have gone viral on social media. There, Ukrainians from all walks of life weigh in.

Viewers member Markian Halabala of Kyiv says seeing buzz concerning the play on-line is what first piqued his curiosity. He says it was troublesome to get tickets as a result of the play sells out so shortly. When he lastly noticed it, he felt the message was that you just shouldn’t intrude in God’s will — like Zabryokha does within the play when he asks a witch to forged a spell on a girl to make her fall in love with him, though she loves another person. Halabala likens it to Russian President Vladimir Putin making an attempt to intrude in Ukraine’s path ahead as an impartial nation.

Nonetheless, theatergoer Olha Vasylevshka of Kharkiv says she thinks the play is about love.

“After all if the love is true, it doesn’t want any outdoors help,” she says, laughing. “But when the love will not be true, nothing may help it, not even a witch.”

Offered-out exhibits

Critics say audiences’ many interpretations of The Witch of Konotop are only one motive it’s been so in style.

Ivan Franko Theater press liaison Olena Kyrychenko-Povolocka instructed NPR the manufacturing has stuffed their almost 800-seat home for each efficiency this summer season and he or she expects to proceed that success. The play has dates on its web site by mid-September.

Another excuse for the play’s recognition could also be its ties to not solely Ukrainian folklore, but in addition to Ukraine’s real-life city of Konotop identified for witches.

Close to the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, a video surfaced on-line of a girl shouting at a Russian soldier sitting atop a tank.

“Do you even know the place you’re?” the girl shouts in a raspy voice. “You’re in Konotop — each second girl here’s a witch.”

She goes on to warn the soldier he won’t ever get an erection once more.

The video went viral in Ukraine, not simply due to the girl’s defiance, but in addition as a result of the video was from Konotop and Ukrainians instantly received the reference.

There’s been an total push to have fun Ukrainian tradition and literature since Russia’s invasion. Putin has repeatedly stated victory means nothing wanting Ukraine not simply dropping its sovereignty — but in addition its identification.

Ukrainians’ renewed curiosity in their very own tradition has pushed them again to theaters. Virtually all functioning theaters within the nation have returned to promoting tickets to full homes, in response to Olha Baibak with the Nationwide Union of Theater Staff of Ukraine.

“There’s a rising curiosity within the theater all through the nation,” Baibak wrote in an e-mail to NPR. “New audiences have come, individuals go for communication, for remedy, to reside some form of expertise.”

She says additionally they come to get away from actuality.

Performing additionally gives actors an escape.

Actor Mykhailo Kukuyuk, who performs the character Pistryak, the primary character’s crafty assistant, says it’s generally troublesome to dam out the challenges and horrors of battle occurring outdoors the theater. However performing is an honor that reminds him what he believes Ukrainians are preventing for.

“For theater, for handsome, stunning girls. It’s the main points, the sparks that make us alive — it’s onerous to place into one sentence,” he says.

Polina Lytvynova contributed to this report from Kyiv.