Home / War and Conflict / Kyiv Theatre Heals War Wounds Onstage
Kyiv Theatre Heals War Wounds Onstage
9 Apr
Summary
- Veterans' Theatre offers therapeutic playwriting for servicemen and families.
- Plays bring soldiers' trauma and families' fears to the stage for healing.
- Theatre captures current war experiences for future generations.
The Veterans' Theatre in Kyiv, established in 2024, offers a unique four-month program for servicemen, their wives, and widows to learn playwriting. Their works are discussed, dissected, and then staged, serving as a form of thespian therapy. Soldiers share their experiences of wounds, amputations, and captivity, while wives and widows act out their profound pain and fears.
The play "Twenty One" exemplifies this, with actress Kateryna Svyrydenko portraying Maryna, a refugee whose husband is on the front lines. The narrative blends magic realism with the stark reality of fundraising for war efforts. Svyrydenko's own husband went missing in 2022, highlighting the personal stakes involved for those connected to the theatre.
Founded by veterans and their families, the theatre aims to capture the zeitgeist of the ongoing war. Director Kateryna Vyshneva emphasizes the importance of using the words of participants and the eyes of survivors to document the present while the pain is still immediate. This initiative ensures that firsthand knowledge of the war is preserved for future generations, offering a vital historical record.
