Teens Ukraine Theater Presents ARE WE THERE YET - Theatre Told Verbatim By Ukranian Teen Refugees

On March 25th and 26th, the TUT - Teens Ukraine Theater (TUT) will premiere the production "ARE WE THERE YET" - a documentary piece centered on children's experience during the war, Russian invasion of Ukraine in New York City.

ARE WE THERE YET is the culmination performance piece of the TUT program. TUT which translates into "here", is a theatrical laboratory for Marks JCH refugee teens from Ukraine who all found their way to New York City during the last 12 months as a result of the full scale Russian invasion war. TUT has engaged Ukrainian teenagers ages 12-17 via workshops, in an exploration of their personal stories through Verbatim Theatre technique and educational theater.

ARE WE THERE YET is a multidisciplinary Verbatim Theatre production derived entirely from personal stories of ten teen immigrant/refugees from Ukraine, displaced and uprooted by war. Some of their families are still in Ukraine beneath the bombs. They feel the dissonance while stuck in a vacuum wanting to go back to the fateful day of February 23rd or to find themselves after the war has already ended so they can finally return home. Where is home and how can they shelter themselves from this horrific reality? When will the war end? What if? Are we there yet? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg as they relive their traumas, reflecting the experience of thousands of refugees and echoing the voices of those who are still in Ukraine.

This production draws surrealistic and yet vivid images of life broken by the war. Millions of people have left their homes fleeing from bombs...leaving behind broken objects and homes, but their memories continue living, traveling along with them. The stories in the play echo through these teens' personal prism - the impact of the invasion, and what happens in the aftermath.
The TUT project is created, directed and curated by actor and pedagogue Anya Zicer who has developed a unique method of working with teenagers in the field of educational drama as part of her theater company, Lost & Found Project. The award-winning company was founded in 2011 but at the beginning of the war in 2022 refocused its work on raising awareness as well as producing several productions in support of Ukraine. The project is also led by actor/teaching artis Dima Koan and musician/composer Mariya Vasilevskaya.

In May 2022, the company produced a staged reading of "Bad Roads," a play by the acclaimed Ukrainian dramaturg Natalka Vorozhbyt at LaMaMa Experimental Theatre Club. The production raised funds in support of the Emergency Performing Arts Fund in Ukraine. Lost & Found Project also created an immersive theater installation, RE:LOCATION, in upstate New York featuring plays by Ukrainian dramaturgs and NYC based performers.

The TUT project mission is to amplify the voices of Ukraine. To echo and amplify the voices of those still there, as well as those here. To raise awareness of the ongoing war. To support Ukraine in the aftermath of the full scale war that has been waged against the country and to create a way for this new refugee community to feel safe. The program seeks to lower the barrier entry point barrier both for newcomers, and provide community for refugees and to create a dialogue.

The project is sponsored and presented by Marks JCH of Bensonhurst which has been an instrumental key organization in providing comprehensive resettlement services to more than 5,000 Ukrainian refugees in New York, as well as providing humanitarian aid to communities in Ukraine all throughout the war. Of the millions of Ukrainians displaced by the war nearly 20,000 have resettled in New York City. Most of them are women with children. The Marks JCH has welcomed Ukrainian refugees who have fled Ukraine and arrived to Brooklyn since February of 2022. Marks JCH Ukraine Crisis Response Center utilizes three decades of expertise serving immigrants and offers resettlement services such as case management, and childcare, mental health supports, English classes and job readiness programs to support Ukrainians and their family members. Though the Marks JCH is able to provide supports and stability, what the children and youth need most is normalcy; a collaboration with Lost & Found is an effort to showcase the childhood that was lost and provide a first hand account of war displacement.

TUT is also affiliated with The Worldwide Ukrainian Readings Project, an initiative led by John Freedman who created the largest database featuring Ukrainian playwrights and plays written both before and during the war. The final pieces written by the teens will become a part of this database which will then be read globally as part of the initiative.

The presentation of the original production ARE WE THERE YET will take place on March 25th and 26th and is hosted by New York Theatre Workshop, a historically supportive community for refugees and community theater.

Performances:
March 25 7:30pm
Mach 26 1:00pm & 6:00pm

New York Theatre Workshop
Fourth Street Theatre 83 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003