University and Theater Clash Over Canceled Play
Olena Shramko-Pushkina, director of the Odessa Regional Academic Drama Theater, is threatening to file criminal charges against the Kyiv National University of Theater, Film and Television named after I. Karpenko-Kary and student director Andriy Gryshyn. The conflict stems from the cancellation of the play 'Myna Mazaylo,' which was set to premiere. The theater scrapped the fourth-year students' production, citing concerns that it could incite ethnic hostility. During a meeting of the artistic council, topics related to the Holodomor in Ukraine and tourists from western Ukraine were discussed, and council members communicated in Russian.
On May 27, the university received a complaint from the theater targeting Andriy Gryshyn, who was involved in staging the play. Gryshyn noted that he learned about this complaint 'exactly one month before his diploma defense.' He also emphasized that the theater accused him of holding an anti-Ukrainian stance and of recording and making public the proceedings of the artistic council.
'The vice-rector asked me why I recorded the artistic council on a voice recorder. I explained that I had asked the theater for official minutes of the meetings, but they were not provided to me,' Gryshyn said.
Allegations and Investigations
In early June, the university received a formal grievance from Olena Shramko-Pushkina, in which she accuses Gryshyn of treason and inciting hostility. In her grievance, the theater director also threatened to involve the police. Gryshyn responded by pointing out that the choice of the play was initially approved by Shramko-Pushkina. He also cited an instance where she insisted on replacing the word 'communists' with 'commune members' in the play's text.
During the artistic council meeting, Olena Shramko-Pushkina also commented on the Holodomor in Ukraine and the famine in Russia's Volga region. 'For example, the director didn't like that the play included communists,' Gryshyn noted. He stressed that there was no conflict with the actors who performed in his production, describing them as modern and professional.
The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language has launched an investigation into the Odessa Regional Drama Theater regarding the cancellation of the premiere. Anna Nerush, a representative of the Commissioner, confirmed that the investigation is already underway. The conflict between the theater and the university has also drawn attention to pressure on journalists, as Shramko-Pushkina sent a complaint to the news outlet 'Glavkom' demanding the removal of a publication.
'In my work on 'Myna Mazaylo,' I followed the philosophy of Kurbas,' Gryshyn stated, emphasizing the importance of a creative approach to the production.
Olena Shramko-Pushkina also addressed the topic of the Pushkin monument, calling its potential removal a 'personal tragedy.'
This standoff between the Odessa Drama Theater and the Kyiv National University of Theater, Film and Television named after I. Karpenko-Kary continues to spark public debate, raising questions about creative freedom and the limits of state policy in the cultural sphere. The situation surrounding the canceled premiere of 'Myna Mazaylo' highlights the challenge of balancing artistic expression with social responsibility in contemporary Ukraine, potentially having long-term implications for theater work and educational programs in this field.