Ahead of SELEDKA’s run at Edinburgh Fringe, we spoke with performer Uliana Klimchuk about the piece.
To book tickets, head to https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/seledka
What drew you to using satire as the vehicle for the piece?
I spent 4 years as a student in America, and I’ve witnessed how little the world knows of my country. I’ve piled up everything I wanted to say and never had the space for it. However, I knew that if I stood up and lectured people it would just go right past them. So I thought of this character who people would have no choice but to listen to. If they heard a Ukrainian talk about the hardships of war they would feel sorry, but barely learn anything new. If they are faced with the attacking side presenting itself as the savior through a highlight of all the propaganda and nonsense that Russia has been imposing, I thought the audience would question what they really know to be true.
How do you approach the process of bringing your own script to life as a performer?
I started writing a few months before I entered a BFA Acting Program, so I always thought that I was writing something that I could act in, but I never expected to write a one-woman show for myself. The stories I wanted to tell required authenticity, and being the only Ukrainian in my school, I had to perform it myself. Writing and performing my own work became a way to learn what I am really trying to say. I don’t need to analyze the script the way I would if I was in a Shakespeare play, I know exactly what’s going on and why this is here. That being said, I know that as a writer, but I’ve been questioned many times by my director, Lily Afghani, why the character is saying this right now? And I didn’t always have an answer.
How important is it to have an understanding of history as well as events happening across the world today?
In the subtext of this play it is essential. That doesn’t mean reading the news covers all day long. For me, that means talking to people, really listening to their stories and the stories they’ve heard somewhere else. It means seeing the world, politics and history through the eyes of people and not what is being presented to us by filtered media. I don’t claim to know everything about the world, but I know how much is overlooked. When the war started in 2014 on a smaller scale, I was oblivious to the struggles of my people in the East of Ukraine. I was 12, arguably old enough to ask questions and become aware, but I lived in such a bubble that I wasn’t seeing what was going right in front of me. I am grateful to overcome that ignorance now.
What was it like to work with director Lily Afghani?
Truly a gift. When I offered Lily collaboration on this project, I knew they were the only person who could do it with me. And I didn’t lose that bet, because not only did they bring artistic views, endless research and their strong personal belief in why this piece matters, but they were just a great friend all the way through. Lily and I have gone through a history of friendship that didn’t spark up from day one, took years to develop and was built on trust and desire to be better people for each other. That’s why I think it’s easy to work together. Having such a small crew entails lots of new responsibilities that we never faced before, and our foundation of partnership lets us approach them as adventurous.
How much can art do to combat increasing ignorance, or even challenge war and imperialism?
Every piece of theater is political, because to put a body on stage is to express defiance. I was taught that by my great teacher, Adam Marple. We can’t run away from the nature of theater being a messenger to the masses. So why not embrace it? In my short life experience of 22 years, I’ve seen people be transformed by a piece of art. To deny that is to deny facts, history and human nature. Even commercial art, aimed to merely entertain is a commentary on the world. So there is always an opportunity to bring to light something that was hidden before, whether through a joke, movement, design or sound. Art is meant to pose questions. And doubt is best at destroying systems built on ignorance.