You are invited to an evening dedicated to Lesia Ukrainka’s Cassandra, now in English translation, and a discussion of her legacy as one of the most important figures in Ukrainian literature.

The Ukrainian Museum, in collaboration with the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA), proudly presents an event honoring one of Ukraine’s most iconic literary figures, Lesia Ukrainka, and her timeless dramatic poem, Cassandra. A political, civil, and feminist activist, Lesia Ukrainka left behind a legacy of poems, plays, essays, and activism for the Ukrainian language and identity. In the dramatic poem Cassandra (1907), the author portrayed the fate of Ukraine through the history of the Trojan War; using the title character as her messenger, Lesia Ukrainka challenged the Ukrainian people to lose their inertia and apathy towards Russian oppression. More than a century later, the poem continues to resonate and can be applied universally to people’s struggles against oppressive subjugation, illuminating the fight for truth and what happens when truth is spoken to power. Our guest speaker, author and scholar Dr. Tamara Hundorova, will be joined by the producer, director, and actors from a forthcoming production of this work to celebrate Lesia Ukrainka’s legacy and discuss the relevance of Cassandra in today’s world.

UNWLA’s Chair of the National Education Committee Anna Petelina will open the evening.

Guest Speakers are:

Dr. Tamara Hundorova is a Visiting Scholar at Princeton University, an Associate Fellow at HURI, a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Literature of the NAS of Ukraine, and a member of PEN Ukraine. She has authored numerous books, including The Post-Chornobyl Library: Ukrainian Postmodernism of the 1990s, and several books in Ukrainian about prominent Ukrainian literary figures such as Lesia Ukrainka, among others. In addition, Dr. Hundorova has written many publications on modernism, postmodernism, feminism, postcolonial studies, and the history of Ukrainian literature. She has taught courses at Harvard University, the University of Toronto, Greifswald University, the Ukrainian Free University, Kyiv-Mohyla University, and Kyiv National University.

Meet the Cassandra Production Team:

Artemis Wheelock (they/she) is an NYC-based director, designer, and actor, and a recent graduate of NYU Tisch Drama. Their credits include most recently directing *A Midsummer Night’s Dream* (Playwrights Horizons), costuming for *CATS: the Jellicle Ball (PAC), and acting in Off-Broadway’s *Romeo and Juliet* (Vino) and performing in her original concert TRANScendent at 54 Below. They strive to create theater that uplifts trans people in the global majority by spreading joy, love, and queerness. Artemis is the director for the upcoming production of Cassandra.

Illia George (he/him) is a Ukrainian born, Brooklyn based actor, illustrator and producer. Illia is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of The Arts and has performed both in the US and Scotland. His most recent works include Fault Line (Ensemble) and A Sketch of New York (Ensemble). His illustrations have been showcased at art exhibitions around local bars in Brooklyn as well. Illia is a producer for the upcoming fully staged production of Cassandra.

Kaitlin Rowan (she/her) is a producer, stage manager, and dramaturg born and raised in Baltimore. She most recently produced and directed Let’s Be Bad: Celebrating Broadway Villains at 54 Below, stage managed Isabella Arras’s Fault Line at the Producers Club and produced a new play reading at The Dramatists Guild. Additionally, she has gained experience at DKC/O&M, BBB, SOHO Playhouse, Jean Doumanian Productions, and The Cooper Company. She studied theatre and film at the University of Pennsylvania and lives on Long Island. Kaitlin is a producer for upcoming Cassandra production.