A R T E L
Insulted. Belarus
a play by Andrei Kureichik
A play for the times
Kureichik, a well-known Belarusian playwright/screenwriter/producer, is a member of the Coordination Council of Belarus. His 7-character play tells the story of the first month of the Belarusian revolution, its ups and downs on the eve of the inevitable democratization of the country after 26 years of dictatorship. All characters have real prototypes, in some you will recognize former and current leaders of the country, in others - incredible Belarusians who have gone out to battle the totalitarian machine, sometimes at the cost of their lives, their freedom, and their loved ones. They represent polar points of view in the awakened Belarusian society. The author seeks to understand how the Belarusian revolution differs from Prague in 1968, Russia in 1991 and Ukraine in 2014. He tells of the tragic escalation of violence and repression employed by the authorities to repress freedom-seeking Belarusians with bayonets and clubs, and how solidarity, truth and faith in human values inevitably lead to victory over evil.
Worldwide Readings
On 10 September, ARTEL was contacted by eminent theatre critic and translator, John Freedman, about the possibility of organizing a reading of Kureichik's play. We had no idea what the play would contain, but we knew instantly this was a moment in time when one must stake their fate. Unwittingly, we joined a handful of companies in the UK and USA who said yes instantly to Freedman's proposal, and this momentum has now snowballed. To date there are 57 venues in 16 countries. Please visit the Facebook page for the Worldwide Readings to be kept up to date and see archived versions of readings, and clips from the World Premiere in Ukraine!
Support the People's Ultimatum on 25 October!
Donate Now
If you are able to help the people of Belarus, the following organisations and sites have been thoroughly vetted and funds are much needed. Any donation is greatly appreciated.
Video of Full Length Reading by ARTEL & Friends
@ Maketank in Exeter on 19 September 2020 (just 10 days after the play was written!)
In solidarity with the people and theater community of Belarus, Exeter’s contemporary performance incubator, Maketank presented a semi-staged reading of Kureichik’s play in translation by John Freedman. This was an extremely fast and dirty reading. Organised, conceived and performed by ARTEL and a cast of local Devon performers, including students from the University of Exeter. We read through the play at 1:30, stumbled through some blocking for camera, and broadcast live at 6pm. With special thanks to Philip Kingslan John for Britishizing the script and for the introduction of "We Shall Not Be Moved" and "The Partisan", and to Alexander Warn for the cinematography and essential stage managing.
Stay Tuned to Maketank for information about an upcoming Exeter reading by an all-female cast of young theatre makers on 6 November 2020.
Participating Theatres
(77 events at 62 venues in 18 countries as of 20 October 2020)
UK
ARTEL / Maketank, Exeter
New Perspectives Theatre, Nottingham
Slung Low, Holbeck
GalinskyWorks , Norwich
Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre, London
Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts
Nicola McCartney, Edinburgh
IRELAND
Dublin Theatre Festival
The Lyric, Belfast
USA
New York Theater Workshop, NYC, NY
St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
Acropolis Performance Lab, Seattle, WA
Theatre Novi Most, Minneapolis, MN
Arlekin Players Theatre, Boston, MA
Moscow Nights with Streamyard, New Orleans, LA
The Art Institute of Chicago, IL
Studio 6, NY/NC
Shrewd Productions, Austin, TX
Wilma Theater, Philadelphia, PA
Towson University, Towson/Baltimore, MD
Rogue Machine, Los Angeles, CA
Pink Velvet Witch, Coney Island, NY
Anya Yermakova, Chicago, IL
Terra Incognita, Bensalem, PA
Beth Frances Milles, Cornell University
Illinois University, IL
Loyola Marymount University, LA, CA
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Illinois State University, Normal, IL
The Forum and Shotgun Players, Bay Area, CA
HERE, NYC, NY
Exquisite Corpse Company, NYC, NY
Tantrum Theater, Ohio University
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HA
Mad Horse Theater, Portland, ME
UKRAINE
Kulish Academic Musical and Drama Theater, Kherson
[World-premiere, full production, Oct. 1]
Poltava Drama Theater, Poltava
Wild Theater (Diky teatr), Kiev
Kherson Puppet Theater, Kherson
Odessa Cultural Center, Odessa
Lvov Drama Center, Lvov
RUSSIA
Free Flight Films, Rain/Dozhd TV
LITHUANIA
Vilnius State Small Theatre of Lithuania
Balcony Theatre, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Vilnius
CZECH REPUBLIC
Olomouc State University, Olomouc
Festival of Contemporary Art 4+4 Days in Motion, Prague
Municipal Theater of Zlin
SLOVAKIA
Center of Independent Culture, Banská Bystrica
Tobacco Culture Factory, Košice
Slovak Chamber Theatre, Martin
Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theater, Zvolen
Studio 12 + Divadlo Astorka Korzo '90, Bratislava Theatre Institute
POLAND
Teatr Dramatyczny, Warsaw
Grotowski Center, Wroclaw
GERMANY
Multicultural City Theater, Berlin
Larisa Itina, Berlin
SWEDEN
Royal Dramatic Theater, Stockholm
BELGIUM
Het nieuwstedelijk (The New Urban Theater), Leuven
De leesclub (Reading Club), Antwerp
ROMANIA
Iași National Theatre
BULGARIA
Pleven
GEORGIA
Akhmeteli Theater, Tbilisi
HONG KONG
Blank Space Studio
FRANCE
Translation by Anastasia Shkola
Additional Materials
American Theater Magazine
Contemporary Theatre Review
Keep up to date!
@SiaBelarus
Twitter account
Current reporting
Current reporting