A Virtual Live Reading of a new play*
performed by graduate students of the Slavic Department at Harvard
Wednesday, October 7, 5pm
followed by discussion with the author
* contains strong language and descriptions of violence
This reading is part of a global effort to bring attention to the current political situation in Belarus through public readings of “Insulted. Belarus(sia),” Andrei Kureichik’s new play written during the first month of peaceful protests in this small distant land between Poland and Russia.
Every single day since August 9, when Aleksandr Lukashenko, “Europe’s last dictator,” claimed “reelection” for his sixth consecutive term, people of Belarus have been out in the streets demanding that their voices be heard and new elections held.
Peaceful protests were met with state violence unprecedented in its brutality.
Military vehicles in the streets. Riot policemen in full gear. With truncheons. Rubber bullets. Real bullets. Tear gas. Stun grenades. Water cannons.
Arrests. Beatings. Torture.
At least 8 people are dead.
Over 13,000 people were detained.
Countless others have fled or been deported.
Don't miss Andrei Kureichik's topical new play. It is a fascinating example of art “responding” to history-in-the-making in real time. It will appeal to anyone interested in Eastern Europe, (post-)Soviet space, and the relationship between art and politics.
Wednesday, October 7, 5pm
Join us to show solidarity with the Belarusians’ struggle for democracy and freedom. Stay for a discussion with the author after the reading. Spread the word!
About "Insulted.Belarus(sia). Worldwide Readings" Project
Andrei Kureichik, an acclaimed Belarusian playwright, screenwriter, producer, and a member of the Coordination Council of Belarus, finished “Insulted. Belarus(sia)” on September 9, and with the help of John Freedman, who translated it remarkably fast, was able to send this powerful topical new play into the world right away.
"Insulted. Belarus(sia)" premiered in Ukrainian on September 12 (Kulish Academic Musical and Drama Theater, Kherson, Ukraine, dir. Sergei Pavlyuk), in Russian on September 17 (Arlekin Players Theatre, Boston, dir. Igor Golyak), and in English on September 18 (Rogue Machine, Los Angeles, CA, USA, dir. Guillermo Cienfuegos).
The world-premier full production took place on October 1 at the Kulish Academic Musical and Drama Theater in Kherson, Ukraine, with Andrei Kureichik in attendance.
As of September 30, over 50 theaters and institutions across 14 countries are performing the play in solidarity with the people of Belarus.
We—a small group of graduate students at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Harvard University—are honored to be part of this worldwide effort to bring attention to the current political situation in Belarus.
“The play tells the story of the first month of the Belarusian revolution, its ups and downs on the eve of the inevitable democratization of the country after 26 years of dictatorship. All characters have real prototypes, in some you will recognize former and current leaders of the country, in others - incredible Belarusians who have gone out to battle the totalitarian machine, sometimes at the cost of their lives, their freedom, and their loved ones. They represent polar points of view in the awakened Belarusian society. The author seeks to understand how the Belarusian revolution differs from Prague in 1968, Russia in 1991 and Ukraine in 2014. He tells of the tragic escalation of violence and repression employed by the authorities to repress freedom-seeking Belarusians with bayonets and clubs, and how solidarity, truth and faith in human values inevitably lead to victory over evil.” Andrei Kureichik
From translator John Freedman:
"The backstory of Andrei Kureichik's “Insulted. Belarus(sia)” is quite extraordinary.
It is the rare case of a genuine work of dramatic art being created in real time about a topic that is self-destructing and transforming furiously even as each word is being tapped out on a computer keyboard.
When Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko (“the last dictator in Europe”) chose on August 9, 2020 to falsify an election he had lost in a landslide, he thought he was just bending a nation to suit his own needs as he had done for 26 years.
In fact, he set off a revolution, as the Belarusian people poured onto the streets to support Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the woman they actually had elected. He also angered, and inspired, Kureichik, Belarus's top playwright and screenwriter, famed for his good-natured comedies. While posting a prodigious amount of exhortative information about the protests online, Kureichik began putting together a play that is based, in part, on statements made by Lukashenko (OLDSTER) and Tikhanovskaya (NOVICE), even as he interweaves them with five imagined characters who speak the language and thoughts that were coming to Kureichik fast and heavy.
The five other characters present an overview of Belarusian society:
MENTOR, an aging teacher who believes in “law and order” and helps guarantee Lukashenko's reelections every four years by falsifying results;
CORPSE, a young soccer fan with too much energy to burn who is sick of living under the same president his entire life;
AVIAN, a storm trooper who trained during the Maidan revolution in Ukraine and is now in Belarus to put down rebellions there;
CHEERFUL, a high-spirited, loving young woman who believes in asking the Universe to send her good vibes, and whose sister is to marry the storm trooper;
YOUTH, Lukashenko's teenaged son Kolya, who is being groomed for the presidency, but would prefer to play internet games.
The lives of every one of these people — with the possible exception of Kolya, for his debt to destiny is yet to be paid — will be impacted tragically by Lukashenko's decision to crush the revolution with violence and torture.
And yet, the resulting play — hard-hitting as it is — is filled with humor, hope and dignity.
Kureichik completed “Insulted. Belarus(sia)” on September 9. He sent it to me at 3:13 p.m. Central European Time, asking if I would translate it and organize a few readings in order to spread the word about the events in Belarus.
Within ten minutes I had lined up six theaters, including New York Theatre Workshop, even without a script they could read. Three days later I finished the translation and got it out to dozens more theaters.
As of September 30, 50 companies in 14 countries are participating in the “Insulted. Belarus(sia)” Worldwide Reading Project."
John Freedman
Credits:
Photos by Violetta Savchits, Uladz Hrydzin tut.by, nn.by, svaboda.