Heroes of Chaos (2020)

This is part of the theatre series Ukrainian Odyssey, a cycle of 5 shows staged in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, and Lviv. We experiment not only with the borders of the country but also with the borders of the theatre, going deeper into the themes of understanding heroism, war, and society.

Theatre as a temple, theatre as a hospital, as an anti-corruption committee, and anthropological experience. A Discourse-autopsy of the functions of the actual art, provoked by the residency “Ukrainian Odyssey. Episode II. The show is based on audiovisual episodes, game structures, and the performers’ own ideas of the notion of the hero. Is a hero a victim, an antagonist of the system, or a social leader and role model? And above all, this performance is rather about questions than answers, as our discussion about responsibility. Is the responsible art – the chronicles of pain, an instrument of influence, or a sign of a healthy society that recognizes its identity?

How to become a hero?
Do something spectacular? Discover a cancer vaccine? Win an Olympic medal? Defeat an enemy? Rescue a cat? Give your place in the tram? Kill another hero?
What kind of hero do you want to be?
The leading one or the other? Real or fictional? Individual or national? Before death or after death? For a year? A day? Till the Friendliness updates?
How to be a hero?
Honourable? Burdensome? Impossible? It is possible to be, but not possible to become?
Become a hero or stay a human? Dichotomy? Ambivalence?
Where is the place of the hero? It is always free.
The hero is not question of age. The hero has no gender. The hero has many names and faces.