New York’s Bedlam Theatre hosted the actor’s readings of Diary of War, a documentary theatrical production that tells the stories of Ukrainians during a full-scale invasion. The event was dedicated to ‘Hospitallers’ servicewoman Iryna ‘Cheka’ Tsybukh, who was killed on May 29 during a rotation in the Kharkiv region
About Diary of War
Diary is a collaborative project between cultural activist, DJ and producer Daria Kolomiec, actress and director Zuzanna Szadkowski (TV series ‘Gossip Girl’) and Bedlam’s Veterans Outreach theater program that engages American veterans in theater work.
Diary of War consists of 14 unedited stories of Ukrainians, including journalists Yurii Marchenko and Julia Kochetova, filmmaker Yevhen Synelnykov, volunteer Denys Khrystov, chef Yevhen Klopotenko, musicians Oleksandr Polozhynskyi, Moisei Bondarenko, Anastasia Shevchenko, Anastasia Shevchenko (Stasik) and Marat Shevchenko, actors Vadym Dotsenko and Alla Martyniuk, Mariupol policewoman Yevheniia Ivanchenko and Olena Nikulina, wife of captured Mariupol defender Maksym Nikulin.
The stories were first voiced in the documentary podcast of the same name by Daria Kolomiec. Then the project was used as the basis for performances in New York.
About the charity event
These readings began with the story of Iryna Tsybukh, as well as with her video message to American viewers. In her diary she wrote about the canceled premiere of her film about children from the Donetsk region, her work at the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine and her decision to join the ‘Hospitallers’ at the start of the war.
‘I understand that after the event you will return to your usual routines, but I will not. Due to russian aggression, because I know how needed we are here. And one thing you need to know: we also need you. Please support us, because this war is the most unfair thing in our lives. And we would also like to return to our routines, without war’, she said in a video.
According to Daria Kolomiec, the emphasis in the performance was on maintaining the connection between the story that the actors read from the stage and the author’s life context. Therefore, the audience and actors were given presentation brochures of the storytellers with their social networks.
‘I also really wanted the actors to have this feeling [of connection]: we talked for a long time about the war in Ukraine, and shortly before the readings I showed the actors their characters: how they look, how they live every day. But they really felt this reality when they learned about Ira’s death, — Daria explains. — About a week before, she asked me to introduce her to Caroline Grogan, who had read her story, so they even managed to communicate on Instagram. In the script, Ira’s story starts the reading, and Caroline worked hard on herself to stay strong’.
Bedlam’s veterans and actors took part in the readings: Zuzanna Szadkowski, Musa Gurnis, Desmond Slattery, Reed Bonadonna, Kaite Aymes, Kyle Lobaugh, Lou Bullock, Annabel Capper, Edward Damato, Ashley Bufkin, Francis Kielb, Paul Pillitteri, Lucas Niedzialkowski, Caroline Grogan . Before the readings began, a Ukrainian song was sung by Ukrainian Village Voices vocalist Uliana Pryimak.
The event was also complemented by a charity auction, where they raffled off a scarf created by OLIZ brand in collaboration with the Kherson Regional Art Museum named after Oleksii Shovkunenko, as well as a flag signed by the authors of the diaries: Iryna Tsybukh, Yevhen Klopotenko, Anastasia Shevchenko and Olena Nikulina.
According to the organizers, they collected more than 800 thousand UAH during the event. 100% of the funds will be transferred to the volunteer medical battalion ‘Hospitallers’.
The Strategic Media Support Program project implements the Lviv Media Forum with financial support from People in Need (PIN) and Pioneer Foundation.
