About the Playwright
Olena Astaseva was born in the city of Kherson (Ukraine), which she considers her hometown to this day, although she currently is in exile outside of Ukraine. She studied at the Kyiv Institute of Culture, and has worked as a librarian, bookseller, and copywriter. She is the author of stories and a number of plays that were repeatedly shortlisted for the Ukrainian Contemporary Play Week festival, and were staged in the theaters of Kherson and Kyiv. A founding member of the Theater of Playwrights in Kyiv, her short dramatic text A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War has been presented, read, performed and filmed nearly 70 times in a dozen countries since it was written in March 2022.
Cast
Michaela Králová (Míša) (Director) is a theatre-maker, poet, translator, and researcher from Prague, the Czech Republic. Michaela introduced the Worldwide Ukrainian Play Readings initiative to Ireland with a reading of four plays in the Samuel Beckett Theatre at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, on June 1st, 2022, together with Ema Vyroubalová and Elina Herasymchuk. Michaela was a curator for the event, a director, a performer, a production and stage manager, booked the venues, managed the social media and graphic design to promote the event, organized the volunteers, and connected to various newspapers in Ireland in both 2022 and 2023. Medias which features the event afterwards include District Magazine and Trinity News. Michaela’s interview citation was published on the ‘20 short works by Ukrainian playwrights’ by Egret Publishing, which can be purchased here: https://www.laertesbooks.org/egret-acting-editions. Her other directing and play-writing credits include a feminist and war-oriented retelling of (and theatre-adaptation-inspired-by) the Czech novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being (directed along with Roísín Daly) in DU Players. Her theatre-acting credits include The Ballad of Reading Gaol in the Samuel Beckett Theatre, The Bad Bitch Manifesto (DU Players), Stuck Somewhere New (DU Players), Sitting Ducks (DU Players). Michaela is currently obtaining her M.Phil. in Literary Translation at the Trinity Center for Literary and Cultural Translation. She also works as a research assistant at TCD. Michaela volunteers for the human rights organization Amnesty International, and teaches English for refugees and asylum seekers through the Universities of Sanctuary Project. Her research focuses on non-binary identities in literary translation, on global theatre adaptations, on translation/adaptation as decolonization, and on Central and Eastern European identities. Michaela’s own poetry, play-wrighting, and translations deal with queer sexualities, alienation in immigration, and sexual violence. Michaela is very grateful that the project is growing and for all the people who have joined this year. Updates of her poetry readings and theatre projects can be found @kralova_m__ (Instagram), or @MaKrlov2 (Twitter).
Sofiia Shulha is a student from Kyiv studying psychology at Trinity College Dublin. Her goal is to become a psychotherapist and help Ukrainians and other people with the mental health consequences of the war.
"I am honoured to be a part of the Ukrainian play readings, and I hope we can spread awareness and gather support for our heroes by doing so. "
Софія - студентка з Києва, вивчає психологію в Триніті-коледжі. Її мета - стати психотерапевтом і допомагати українцям та іншим людям з впливом війни на психічне здоров'я.
"Для мене велика честь бути частиною читань українських творів, і я сподіваюся, що таким чином ми зможемо поширити інформацію та залучити підтримку нашим героям".
Еліна Герасимчук - акторка та режисерка з Чернігова, наразі навчається фільмейкінгу у Трініті. Еліна має на меті відкрити сучасний театр, який даруватиме людям незабутні емоції та спонукатиме до роздумів. Вона також була в жюрі вокальних конкурсів та є багаторазовою чемпіонкою України з поулденсу. Її учні також відомі як чемпіони України з повітряної гімнастики. Сьогодні, Еліна є одною з організаторок та режисерок цього заходу.
«Я дуже вдячна Ірландії за її зацікавленість у не тільки допомозі Україні, а ще й у нашій культурі. Сподіваюсь, цей проєкт допоможе іноземцям усвідомити нашу ментальність, переживання та важливість підтримки наших збройних сил»
Elina Herasymchuk is an actress and director from Chernihiv who is currently studying filmmaking at Trinity. Elina aims to open a contemporary theater that will provide people with unforgettable emotions and provoke reflections. She has also served as a judge in vocal competitions and is a multiple-time champion of Ukraine in pole dance. Her students are also known as champions of Ukraine in aerial sports. Today, Elina is one of the organizers and directors of this event.
"I am very grateful to Ireland for its interest not only in helping Ukraine but also in our culture. I hope this project will help foreigners understand our mentality, feelings, and the importance of supporting our armed forces."