The event includes a performance and a discussion with the creative team, government representatives, human rights advocates, and psychologists working on the return of children to Ukraine and their rehabilitation.
The play “A Bird in the Attic” by Ukrainian playwright Oleh Mykhailov, written in the summer of 2023, addresses the issue of child abductions by Russia and the forced adoption of these children by occupying families.
Director Ihor Bilyts defines the genre of the play as a tribunal, emphasizing its connection to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, for this very crime.
The plot centers on a monologue by a 13-year-old girl, whose story represents the collective experiences of abducted children. She records her confession on a video camera found in the attic, documenting the truth. Through her words, the audience learns about the bombing of Mariupol, the “filtration” process, and her separation from her mother, a Ukrainian soldier.
• Author: Oleh Mykhailov
• Director: Ihor Bilyts
• Stage Design: Oleksii Khoroshko
• Multimedia Design: Ruslan Berezovyi
• Choreography: Oleksii Busko
• Cast: Shorena Shonia
The production is part of the TAW (Theatre and War) project, a collaborative initiative involving Finnish, German, and Ukrainian partners aimed at supporting contemporary Ukrainian dramaturgy and theater during wartime. It is funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. In Ukraine, the main organizer is the All-Ukrainian League of Authors (VGO).
Maria Zankovetska National Drama Theater
November 27, 2024, Lviv, Ukraine