The Ukrainian Words project

touring April 29 - May 12

RSVP for free

The Ukrainian Words Project features new play readings and Story Circles with members of the Ukrainian diaspora here in Minnesota. In an effort to uplift Ukrainian voices, each event presents an hour-long staged reading of excerpts from newly commissioned plays by Ukrainian playwrights written since the war began in February 2022.

Performance Schedule

All performances begin at 7:30pm. Reserve your seat using the RSVP link above.

  • Mon, April 29

    Ukrainian American Community Center

    301 NE Main St Minneapolis, MN 55413

  • Tues, April 30

    Earley Center for the Performing Arts

    Minnesota State University, Mankato 320 Maywood Ave Mankato, MN 56001

  • Fri, May 3

    The Museum of Russian Art

    5500 Stevens Ave Minneapolis, MN 55419

  • Wed, May 8

    History Theatre

    30 10th St E St Paul, MN 55101

  • Fri, May 10

    Barbara Barker Center for Dance

    University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 500 21st Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55455

  • Sun, May 12

    Zeitgeist Center for Arts & Community

    222 E Superior St Duluth, MN 55802

about the project

Each event will begin with an hour-long staged reading, followed by optional Story Circles where light refreshments will be provided.

Leaders of the Story Circles will facilitate and welcome a collective processing of the work and sharing of stories from our Ukrainian and post-Soviet community members. Story Circles give Ukrainians, others from the post-Soviet diaspora, and general audiences in Minnesota a chance to process what's happening in Ukraine and the war’s effect on them. In collaboration with the storytellers, the narratives told will be turned into a new piece of verbatim theatre by Theatre Novi Most in 2025-2026.

Admission is FREE, donations to support Ukrainian efforts are highly encouraged.

Featuring excerpts from the following works:

A Dictionary of Emotions in War Time by Olena Astasyeva, Call Them by Their Names by Tetyana Kitsenko, Harry Potter by Yurii Hudymenko, I Want to Go Home by Oksana Savchenko, Just Tell No One by Oksana Savchenko, Peace and Tranquility by Andriy Bondarenko, Planting an Apple Tree by Iryna Harets, Three Attempts to Improve Daily Life by Maksym Kurochkin, and Three Rendezvous by Natalka Vorozhbyt

Cast and creative team

  • A close-up of an elderly woman with long gray hair, smiling outdoors with a blurred background of greenery and water.

    Barbra Berlovitz

    Performer

  • Close-up portrait of an older man with blue eyes, gray and brown hair, slight stubble, wearing a white collared shirt, against a dark background.

    Pearce Bunting

    Performer

  • Headshot of a man with brown hair, light-colored eyes, wearing a black shirt and a colorful tie, against a gray background.

    Paul de Cordova

    Performer

  • A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a navy blue sleeveless top, looking at the camera, against a dark background.

    Adelin phelps

    Performer

  • A woman dressed in traditional Ukrainian embroidered clothing performing with a singer and guitarist on stage.

    Lev and Olga Frayman

    Musicians

  • A young man with long, curly hair wearing a purple velvet jacket and dark shirt, sitting against a black background, holding an electric guitar.

    Yev Rosso

    Musician

  • A woman with light-colored hair and blue eyes wearing a gray turtleneck sweater, looking off to the side with a thoughtful expression.

    Lisa Channer

    Theatre Novi Most Co-Founder, Director

  • A middle-aged man with a friendly smile, wearing a gray button-up shirt with small white polka dots, and posing against a plain light background.

    Vladimir Rovinksy

    Theatre Novi Most Co-Founder, Director

  • A young woman smiling outdoors in a park with trees and green grass in the background.

    Jaya Robillard

    Stage Manager

  • A young woman with red hair smiling outdoors near a building with large windows.

    Olivia Brantstetter

    Community Outreach Coordinator

  • Close-up portrait of a young woman with short, curly brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a tan sleeveless top, standing outdoors with a blurred background.

    Em Rosenberg

    Marketing

This production is part of the Worldwide Readings Project.

The Worldwide Readings Project (WRP) was founded by John Freedman, long-time theatre critic for The Moscow Times and author of countless books on Russian dramatic literature, in an effort to share new works by Ukrainian playwrights and raise money for Ukrainian war relief. WRP is actively encouraging theatre companies and performance groups around the world to stage readings of plays by Ukrainian playwrights which protest against the unjust war in their country.

Read more about The Worldwide Readings Project HERE.

Read John Freedman’s letters to the international theater community, and view participating organizations HERE.

Leaders of the Story Circles will facilitate and welcome a collective processing of the work and sharing of stories from our Ukrainian and post-Soviet community members. Story Circles give Ukrainians, others from the post-Soviet diaspora, and general audiences in Minnesota a chance to process what's happening in Ukraine and the war’s effect on them. In collaboration with the storytellers, the narratives told will be turned into a new piece of verbatim theatre by Theatre Novi Most in 2025-2026.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

This activity is funded in part by the Faculty Research Grant at Minnesota State University, Mankato; the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Advanced Study as a Research and Creative Collaborative; and the Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry, and Scholarship program (GIA) administered by the Research and Innovation Office at the University of Minnesota.

Thank you to our producing partners, who helped make this event happen, including History Theatre; the Department of Performance Arts, Minnesota State University, Mankato; The Museum of Russian Art; Ukrainian American Community Center; University of Minnesota Theatre Arts and Dance; and Zeitgeist Arts.