The drama “Kasandra” is a work written by one of the most outstanding figures of Ukrainian literature, poet and playwright Lesya Ukrainka, over a hundred years ago. It presents the story of the mythological Cassandra, the daughter of King Priam of Troy, who receives the gift of clairvoyance, but is cursed by Apollo so that no one believes her prophecies. Her work “Kasandra” occupies a unique place in the history of European theater and stands at the origins of modern drama, initiated by Euripides. The specific repetition (cyclicality) of this story means that the topic has not lost its relevance. The story of a prophetess who was rejected by her own people raises many questions and doubts. In the age of computer technology, where it is extremely easy to escape into the world of illusion, are we still able to hear prophets proclaiming the bitter truth and believe them? And what if even prophets doubt their own abilities? The modern audience can easily identify with the character of Cassandra, who has the ability to predict the future, but is unheard and underestimated.

The performance, adhering to the main idea of ​​the Teatr Emigrant, is performed proportionally in three languages ​​– Polish, Ukrainian and Belarusian. The translation of “Kasandra” into Belarusian, as well as the prologue by Uladzimir Karatkivich, is an important step in promoting this language and culture, as it will be heard in Belarusian for the first time. This gives Belarusian viewers access to the work, and also emphasizes the importance of preserving and promoting the Belarusian language, which is currently in an endangered state.

The story of Cassandra is interpreted by the Teatr Emigrant as a work that touches on universal themes of human fate, clairvoyance, prejudice, choice and will. The actresses, taking on the roles of famous characters from Greek mythology, create a universal story about the place of women in society, but this female polyphony is not a choir of the enslaved and defeated, and resounds particularly loudly in the context of today’s events. The message of the performance therefore revolves around the role of women in the face of armed conflicts, although it is not limited to a specific time and place, because it tells about what is, was and most likely will be part of human fate.

The main artistic concept of the theater performance “Kasandra” is a combination of physical and classical theater based on ancient Greek tragedy, which creates a unique and inspiring artistic experience. The use of symphonic music written especially for the performance, combined with the movement of the actresses, creates powerful and emotionally engaging moments in the performance.

Teatr Emigrant initiated its activity in 2019. It was created out of a great love for theater, thanks to the involvement of Ukrainian and Belarusian women living in Poznań; from a huge need to express themselves in a foreign country – to express themselves in the language of theater on the stage. The Emigrant Theatre was supposed to give its participants the opportunity for creative expression in their native language, which turned into one of the most recognizable features of the collective – the multilingual nature of the plays. Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian, but also Polish, because the local audience has always been important. The theater team is constantly searching for a universal theater language that would be understandable and at the same time combine the diverse native cultures of the actresses, intertwining them in a unique way.

The theater’s work duly represents Ukrainian and Belarusian culture, integrating them into the Polish cultural environment. An actress from our theater expressed this very well in one of the interviews:

”As the only theater of this type in Poznań, we are building our supranational language of creative communication, we are creating a space in which we feel safe and at home.”