Fri 12/15 @ 7PM
With all the conflagration in the Middle East, it’s easy to forget about the war being fought by Ukraine over its own sovereignty following the Russian invasion — a war on which democracy in the West depends.
Cleveland Public Theatre has partnered with the Worldwide Ukrainian Play Readings (WUPR) formed in 2022 to share the work of Ukrainian writers with people around the world and raise money for Ukraine. There have now been nearly 500 readings, films and videos in some 30 countries of work by about 60 writers.
CPT’s one-night-only benefit is called Buried Words, Seeds of Hope. It will include sort plays, music, poetry and art by both Ukrainian and Ukrainian American artists, some from Cleveland. That includes the evening’s director Nadia Tarnawsky. The performance will be in English.
“I often make phone calls to the village women and men who shared their songs with me,” says Tarnawsky. “The phone calls are always short — ‘I don’t want you to waste your money on this call!’ — and almost always include the phrase ‘Thank you for not forgetting about me.’ More than anything, I want the audience to hear these stories from Ukraine and not forget about the people there who are continuing forward day by day — sowing seeds, making theatre, writing poems, singing songs, and giving their lives for their freedom and the sovereignty of their nation.”
The doors open at 7pm to view the photo exhibit and meet representatives from some Ukrainian organizations. Tickets are pay what you choose and proceeds will benefit the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Cleveland and the Cleveland Maidan Association which sends humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
cptonline/buried-words-seeds-of-hope/
Cleveland, OH 44102