In war-weary Kyiv, a group of wounded Ukrainian veterans and drama students are preparing to premiere a stage adaptation of Ivan Kotliarevskyi's 18th-century epic poem "Eneida," reimagined for a modern audience. Directed by Olha Semioshkina, the production draws parallels between the Trojan hero Aeneas and the veterans' own experiences of war and recovery.
The cast, ranging in age from their 20s to 60s, includes veterans who have returned from the front with amputations, severe burns and sight loss, as well as civilians affected by the war. Many had never performed before. The project took over a year to prepare, with the first four months devoted to basic movement and communication exercises, according to Semioshkina.
"Every man on stage is Aeneas. Every woman on stage is Dido," the director said. She explained that Aeneas is a hero who endures horrors but remains human, with a goal to find his place and preserve his family. "He returned mutilated, broken, but they are learning to live again," she said of the actors.
One veteran, Yehor Babenko, who suffered severe burns early in the invasion, delivers lines that resonate with his own experience: "Feeling burned out at work? We have a lot in common." He said the theatre has been both psychological and physical rehabilitation. "I've noticed I feel my body better, feel more confident in public, express my thoughts better."
The play's final act departs from the epic, as actors share personal stories of combat injuries, lost comrades, displacement and life under occupation. Andrii Onopriienko, who lost his sight in a Russian artillery strike, initially refused to join but was persuaded. He said rehearsals offered "positivity, laughter, support" and a chance to "enter another world." On stage, prosthetic limbs are removed and replaced as part of the visual language, with long metal rods serving as swords, oars and crutches.
