Pittsburgh Arts, Regional Theatre, New Work, Producing, Copyright, Labor Unions,
New Products, Coping Skills, J-O-Bs...
Theatre industry news, University & School of Drama Announcements, plus occasional course support for
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni.
CMU School of Drama
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
The Last Word: ‘painfully poignant’ play gives a voice to women silenced by Russia’s legal system
theconversation.com: Anna Narinskaya’s play The Last Word, which has transferred to London’s Marylebone Theatre after its premiere in Berlin in 2022, gives voice to nine women who have fallen foul of the Russian legal system in recent years.
The Last Word is a perfect example of how theatre can be used to lift up the voices around us and fight for change for the better. It’s heartbreaking to hear about all of these different women’s stories about how the state believes they wronged them by protesting or fighting for their freedoms. This play seems like one that would be heartbreakingly moving to watch and would create an atmosphere in the room that I would hope would propel the audience to go out and continue to fight for change. It’s interesting how this show is played by 1 woman, even though there are a multitude of many different characters who are telling their stories behind this glass box. The title of the show is poetic and shows how even though these women are being charged and found guilty for crimes that seem small to us, they still are able to have the last word in the justice system, and they go out fighting for a better way.
Before reading this article I was already somewhat aware of the injustices of the Russian justice system. I followed Alexei Navalny’s case throughout his attempted assassination and subsequent imprisonment, and the detainment of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. I didn’t know any specific statistics or details, but I wasn’t surprised when I read that 99% of defendants are found guilty. I thought it was fitting that this play focused on the women who dare to speak their mind and protest against the oppressive Russian government, given that women suffer the most under the patriarchy. I liked that they are bringing attention to these women, because I believe the vast majority of the public, including me, are not aware of their stories. Reading this article fueled me with determination to learn more about the women who have been persecuted by Putin’s tyrannical regime. I sincerely hope that this play increases public awareness of their plight.
Productions like these make me glad to be going into the field I am going into. I think that too often society tries to make art palatable, encouraging people to look at the comforting instead of trying to disturb the peace and make a real statement. While art that is beautiful just for the sake of being beautiful is important, and art that encourages happiness of both the viewer and the artist should be one of the main goals of creation, inciting new ideas and questions about society and the world is one of the main goals with such a powerful medium. A production like The Last Word encourages people to question the government and standards that many people live under, and to realize how faulted they are and take action. Indeed, spreading the voices and stories of such victims is a way to take action in and of itself. I would love to see this play, and my dream as a designer is to make something as dangerous and thought-provoking as it is.
This play is the kind of theatre that forces you to think and feel in discomfort and face truths about the world that you may not want to. It is a perfect example of theatre made for change. Even the title of this play, ‘The Last Word,’ has connotations that bring so many levels of meaning to it. Having the last word in a fight carries strength, pointing to the force of these women. The subtext of a fight brings forth the idea that this fight for justice is never over and must continue to be fought. The phrasing itself mirrors the title of Leonardo di Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ painting, adding the connotation of innocents being punished for their beliefs. It is fascinating how the show is performed by one woman even though the story is about many. The meaning I find in that choice is the idea that these women are being stripped of their individuality and clumped together into one category so you don’t see all of any of them, much like how the women were treated in court — labeled treasonous and nothing else mattered. The final moment of the play sounds powerful, the kind of moment in theatre that changes your perspective on the world. The story of these women needs to be told, their words need to be spoken, and this play needs to be seen by the world.
After reading this article, I was deeply moved and began to reflect on the suffering faced by feminist activists in distant parts of Asia, which I had previously been unaware of. As a Chinese student, the mainstream perspective in China tends to support Russia, with heavy promotion of Putin’s strong authoritative personal charm. This means that I am not exposed to—nor would the media allow—such deep reflections on war, or plays that critically analyze the regimes behind the wars and the violent enforcement under dictatorship. One of the cases in the article that left the deepest impression on me was "Artist Sasha Skochilenko, who exchanged five supermarket price tags for slips of paper numbering Ukrainian victims killed during the invasion, was sentenced to seven years in prison." In a place where there is no freedom of speech or freedom of creation, suppressing the voices of freedom only leads to their even more frenzied growth. Just like the false freedom represented in the courtroom’s monologue, giving women the right to speak but not the power to change the outcome. I believe that things will get better, and as we raise our voices for them, we must also educate others on the necessity of feminism.
5 comments:
The Last Word is a perfect example of how theatre can be used to lift up the voices around us and fight for change for the better. It’s heartbreaking to hear about all of these different women’s stories about how the state believes they wronged them by protesting or fighting for their freedoms. This play seems like one that would be heartbreakingly moving to watch and would create an atmosphere in the room that I would hope would propel the audience to go out and continue to fight for change. It’s interesting how this show is played by 1 woman, even though there are a multitude of many different characters who are telling their stories behind this glass box. The title of the show is poetic and shows how even though these women are being charged and found guilty for crimes that seem small to us, they still are able to have the last word in the justice system, and they go out fighting for a better way.
Before reading this article I was already somewhat aware of the injustices of the Russian justice system. I followed Alexei Navalny’s case throughout his attempted assassination and subsequent imprisonment, and the detainment of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. I didn’t know any specific statistics or details, but I wasn’t surprised when I read that 99% of defendants are found guilty. I thought it was fitting that this play focused on the women who dare to speak their mind and protest against the oppressive Russian government, given that women suffer the most under the patriarchy. I liked that they are bringing attention to these women, because I believe the vast majority of the public, including me, are not aware of their stories. Reading this article fueled me with determination to learn more about the women who have been persecuted by Putin’s tyrannical regime. I sincerely hope that this play increases public awareness of their plight.
Productions like these make me glad to be going into the field I am going into. I think that too often society tries to make art palatable, encouraging people to look at the comforting instead of trying to disturb the peace and make a real statement. While art that is beautiful just for the sake of being beautiful is important, and art that encourages happiness of both the viewer and the artist should be one of the main goals of creation, inciting new ideas and questions about society and the world is one of the main goals with such a powerful medium. A production like The Last Word encourages people to question the government and standards that many people live under, and to realize how faulted they are and take action. Indeed, spreading the voices and stories of such victims is a way to take action in and of itself. I would love to see this play, and my dream as a designer is to make something as dangerous and thought-provoking as it is.
This play is the kind of theatre that forces you to think and feel in discomfort and face truths about the world that you may not want to. It is a perfect example of theatre made for change. Even the title of this play, ‘The Last Word,’ has connotations that bring so many levels of meaning to it. Having the last word in a fight carries strength, pointing to the force of these women. The subtext of a fight brings forth the idea that this fight for justice is never over and must continue to be fought. The phrasing itself mirrors the title of Leonardo di Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ painting, adding the connotation of innocents being punished for their beliefs. It is fascinating how the show is performed by one woman even though the story is about many. The meaning I find in that choice is the idea that these women are being stripped of their individuality and clumped together into one category so you don’t see all of any of them, much like how the women were treated in court — labeled treasonous and nothing else mattered. The final moment of the play sounds powerful, the kind of moment in theatre that changes your perspective on the world. The story of these women needs to be told, their words need to be spoken, and this play needs to be seen by the world.
After reading this article, I was deeply moved and began to reflect on the suffering faced by feminist activists in distant parts of Asia, which I had previously been unaware of. As a Chinese student, the mainstream perspective in China tends to support Russia, with heavy promotion of Putin’s strong authoritative personal charm. This means that I am not exposed to—nor would the media allow—such deep reflections on war, or plays that critically analyze the regimes behind the wars and the violent enforcement under dictatorship. One of the cases in the article that left the deepest impression on me was "Artist Sasha Skochilenko, who exchanged five supermarket price tags for slips of paper numbering Ukrainian victims killed during the invasion, was sentenced to seven years in prison." In a place where there is no freedom of speech or freedom of creation, suppressing the voices of freedom only leads to their even more frenzied growth. Just like the false freedom represented in the courtroom’s monologue, giving women the right to speak but not the power to change the outcome. I believe that things will get better, and as we raise our voices for them, we must also educate others on the necessity of feminism.
Post a Comment