SEASON 2026/27: THE GEOGRAPHY OF CLOSENESS
It is likely that the first Russian bomb fell on July 11, 2014, near Zelenopillia in the Luhansk region. From that moment, our landscapes have been marked by physical and symbolic ruptures and tears from thousands of strikes. This new geography has changed much—it is merciless, like nature itself.
Sometimes it seems as though each and every one of us has found ourselves in our own rift, a cold pit with severed ties (for some metaphorically, for others quite literally). Sometimes it seems as though entire communities or groups of people have found themselves in such a rift. We all, and each of us individually, have found ourselves in the chasm between safety and threat, between worlds where rules apply and where they do not. The boundaries have become starkly defined.
Is true closeness possible in such circumstances? Who knows, but it is certainly worth striving for, despite the ruthlessness of geography.
-The Lesia Theatre Showcase will foster closer ties with the professional community during our new season. We look forward to meeting our Ukrainian and international colleagues in September 2026.
-What kind of identity emerges from a rupture? How do dignity, shame and guilt transform in those who live in a rupture, and in those who observe their lives whilst remaining within ‘normality’? Which boundaries disappear, and which remain, in the transition between life and death? We will seek answers to these questions in a production that Vladyslav Bilonenko and Anastasiia Kosodii will be working on towards the end of 2026.
-Geographical closeness does not always foster unity and understanding. The relations between Ukrainians and neighbouring countries clearly bear this out. Divisions in history spill over into politics, and then into culture. Or is it the other way round? We’ll work to understand this while creating a production on Ukrainian-Polish relations with Kateryna Penkova in the spring of 2027.
-We’ll explore the geography of closeness in the city, together with Victoria Myronyuk, at the end of the season as an audio walk.
Growing closer is a process that changes those involved in it. We, as a theatre, are also set for change. We’re updating our visual style and logo because we want to be just as stylish, inquisitive and open-minded as our audience.
Growing closer to one another despite all the latitudes and longitudes – that’s our mission for the #geography_of_closeness season
