Cassandra - A Ukrainian Theater Piece

What is Cassandra?

A fusion of feminist perspectives, spiritual dilemmas, and political angst, Cassandra, originally written in 1907 by a Ukrainian literary titan Lesia Ukrainka, continues to speak in rejection of authoritarian, and more specifically, Russian aggression which we see so much of within global political contexts today. Similar to Cassandra, Lesia Ukrainka lived at a time of great repression. Her Ukrainian truth was subject to extreme subjugation; in writing this dramatic poem, Ukrainka, like Cassandra, committed a vital political act. Such a politically apt and artistically masterful piece of the Ukrainian canon is long overdue on the American stage.

The dramatic poem delves into the life of a Trojan prophetess, Cassandra, at the end of the Trojan War. Her prophetic visions are cursed by Apollo to never be trusted or believed. As fellow Trojans dismiss her words while her brother Helenus creates false prophecies to assuage the people’s fear of the war, Cassandra battles the difficulties in subverging thought and speaking truth to power. She is a vessel for bitter truth and self-censorship, as the Ukrainian people were in 1907.

Mission Statement:

When Russia first horrifically invaded Ukraine in 2014, control of the nation's truth became a contested battlefield. The truth of Ukrainian sovereignty, and of the horrific violence, from Mariupol to Lviv, that Russia continues to deny, echoes the political manipulation of truth that Ukrainka warned against over one hundred years earlier. The Cassandra team aims to exhibit the undeniable truth of the Russian full-scale invasion and aggression, rooting the workshop heavily in the Ukrainian perspective. A perspective and a people that are often subject to erasure, mislabeling, and deliberate distortion for the sole gain of power.

Our production and rehearsal process will aim to workshop staging and design concepts as well as investigate necessary resources that prerequisite future productions of Cassandra. We believe workshopping Cassandra would be an invaluable opportunity to enrich our production and further immerse our vision in a Ukrainian context.

Costs:

TOTAL: $16,200

Significance and Importance:

Cassandra’s enduring relevance provides an opportunity to engage audiences in meaningful dialogue about truth, belief, and the consequences of war. We are drawn to the play's themes of resilience, defiance, and the power of the human spirit to resist oppression. By bringing Ukrainka's work to the stage, we honor her legacy as a visionary playwright and shed light on the enduring power of storytelling to provoke thought and inspire change.

Core Staff Breakdown:

Artemis Wheelock (they/she) is an NYC-based director, designer, and actor, and a recent graduate of NYU Tisch Drama. Their credits include most recently directing *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (Playwrights Horizons), costuming for *CATS: the Jellicle Ball (PAC), and acting in Off-Broadway's *Romeo and Juliet* (Vino) and performing in her original concert TRANScendent at 54 Below. They strive to create theater that uplifts trans people in the global majority by spreading joy, love, and queerness. Many thanks to family, friends, and teachers for their constant support.

Melina Rabin (she/her) is an NYC-based actor and dramaturg. Recent dramaturgy projects include the Julius Caesar adaptation Last of All the Romans (Foul Fiend Theatre Troupe) and an upcoming production of Coriolanus. She is also the resident dramaturg of the production company Lighthouse Ladies (@lighthouseladiesco). As an actor, Melina has worked with Citizen Arts, Classics on the Rocks, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and NYU Tisch Drama, where she received her BFA in Theatre (and now uses that degree to perform children’s puppet shows at Puppetsburg NYC—because silly voices require some pretty advanced acting skills!)

Kaitlin Rowan (she/her) is a producer, stage manager, and dramaturg born and raised in Baltimore. She most recently produced and directed Let’s Be Bad: Celebrating Broadway Villains at 54 Below, stage managed Isabella Arras’s Fault Line at the Producers Club, and produced a new play reading at The Dramatists Guild. Additionally, she has gained experience at DKC/O&M, BBB, SOHO Playhouse, Jean Doumanian Productions, and The Cooper Company. She studied theatre and film at the University of Pennsylvania and lives on Long Island.

Illia George (he/him) is a Ukrainian born, Brooklyn based actor, illustrator and producer. Illia is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of The Arts, and has performed both in the US and Scotland. His most recent works include Fault Line (Ensemble) and A Sketch of New York (Ensemble). His illustrations have been showcased at art exhibitions around local bars in Brooklyn as well.