Prisoners refused from amnesty for art

The first night of a performance by Grigory Gorin’s play “House, built by Swift” took place in Kharkiv’s 18^th colony. The performance with the participation of the prisoners was staged by Svetlana Oleshko, director of “Arabesques” Theatre.

“Arabesques” Theatre has cooperated with the local colonies for five years. The work on the last performance lasted about a year. Actors-prisoners made costumes and decorations for a performance, they chose. Taking into account the specific character of the performance, all actresses’ roles were removed.

Actors, engaged in the play, regarded the idea of theatre in prison rather suspiciously at first. But in the course of time convicts became so enthusiastic that some of them asked the administration to prologue the term of imprisonment.

“Some guys, who played in the play, were to be released from prison by amnesty on August. The first night of the performance was scheduled for November. So, they addressed the colony administration to leave them in prison till the first night,” told Svetlana Oleshko.

“Arabesques” Theatre are preparing two more first nights with prisoners – it is planed to stage “Faust” in Lviv and “Servants” by Jean Genet in Kharkiv’s women colony.