The podcast "The Dictionary of Ukrainian Emotions" offers a captivating nine-episode series featuring plays by Ukrainian playwrights from the Theatre of Playwrights. Hosted by the translator and creator of the play series "A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War" John Freedman, each episode presents not only the performances of these powerful short plays, but also insightful conversations with the playwrights and actors Alessandra Torresani, Kristin Milward, Wayne Maugans, Kevin McMonagle, Kathleen Chalfant etc., who bring them to life.
Ukrainian Spaces – a new podcast on Ukrainska Pravda - Matryoshka of Lies
We are pleased to present the trailer for the new season of the Ukrainian Spaces podcast, which is available on UP.
For our fifth season, Ukrainian Spaces returns to where it began: revisiting six Ukrainians from the 2022 inaugural season to see how hope, resistance, and resilience have shaped their lives. Across six episodes – fear, belonging, language, love, resistance, and the future – our guests reflect on the past, share intimate stories, and write letters to their former selves. A return and continuation, this season reminds us that Ukraine’s story is best told by Ukrainians themselves.
In the second episode of the season, Ukrainian Spaces returns to a conversation that began in 2022 and follows it to its consequences.
Listen to the podcast at the link: https://pod.link/1616395167
13 Jan 2025
Episode 9. Kushtrim Hoxha – Three Attempts to Improve Daily Life
Kushtrim Hoxha, an American actor of Kosovo origin, shares his insights on war resilience and normalcy in the face of adversity, as he discusses Maksym Kurochkin's powerful play, Three Attempts to Improve Daily Life, with host John Freedman.
30 Dec 2024
Episode 8. Sharon Washington – My Tara
On the eve of the New Year, the eighth episode of A Dictionary of Ukrainian Emotions podcast is released, and we are pleased to invite you to a new emotional journey with the wonderful American actress Sharon Washington, who reads the text My Tara by Lyudmyla Tymoshenko.
This work begins with the Ukrainian author's childhood impressions of the novel Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and reflections on the sound of a coffin being nailed shut, which symbolizes the irreversibility and finality of loss. The story centres on memories of her childhood in the Ukrainian city of Ovruch, where she was sent to live with her grandmother from the harsh North Kazakhstan, where her father, an officer in the USSR's strategic nuclear forces, served.
The story unfolds against a backdrop of deep emotions: the fear of nuclear war, the harsh climate, and the psychological tension among the military who were responsible for launching the missiles. While in her childhood the heroine finds refuge in her grandmother's house, which becomes an island of warmth and happiness for her, in 2022, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, her childhood home is destroyed.
After the reading, podcast host, writer, and translator John Freedman and Sharon Washington discuss the emotional impact of the text on readers. John, who has done a lot to popularize Ukrainian drama, notes that the text has already gained wide recognition, having been read more than 50 times around the world, which testifies to its universality and ability to move people deeply. Shaun Washington shares her personal perception of the movie Gone with the Wind and draws interesting parallels between her own experience of growing up and the themes raised in the text.
16 Dec 2024
Episode 7. Jessica Hecht – Flowering
In the seventh episode of A Dictionary of Ukrainian Emotions podcast, American actress Jessica Hecht, best known for her memorable roles in the cult TV series Friends and Breaking Bad, reads Flowering by Ukrainian playwright Olha Matsiupa.
The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of the author’s memories of a trip to Sievierodonetsk on the eve of the full-scale invasion. Olha Matsiupa reflects on her once-held dream of traveling across Ukraine — a dream she often postponed, believing Ukraine would “always be there.” However, the war shattered these assumptions, disrupting safety and normalcy. Interwoven with this story are themes of personal relationships, particularly the heroine's love for her husband, who carries a cracker symbolizing the Holodomor. These poignant details underscore the connection between generations and highlight the importance of preserving history and culture amidst the struggle for survival.
Following the reading, podcast host, writer, and translator John Freedman engages Jessica Hecht in a thought-provoking conversation about the significance of exploring themes of memory. Hetch shares her deep admiration for the poetic style of Flowering, noting its multilayered emotional depth and its ability to draw readers into the events on a profoundly personal level.
2 Dec 2024
Episode 6. Kathleen Chalfant – Planting an Apple Tree
Kathleen Chalfant reads Iryna Harets' Planting an Apple Tree, a powerful metaphor for human resilience in the face of war and chaos, sparking a thought-provoking discussion with John Freedman on the struggle for faith in the future.
18 Nov 2024
Episode 5. Kevin McMonagle – Survivor's Syndrome
In the fifth episode of A Dictionary of Ukrainian Emotions podcast, acclaimed British actor Kevin McMonagle performs a reading of Survivor’s Syndrome by Andrii Bondarenko. The reading, brought to life under the direction of Simon Usher, artistic director of Presence Theatre, captures the essence of a work that is both haunting and profound.
Survivor's Syndrome is a dramatic poem written in the early days of the war. It lays bare the harrowing experiences of Ukrainians, caught between a familiar past and an uncertain future. Opening with the word ‘end’ and closing with ‘beginning’, the poem speaks to a life shattered yet resilient, embodying the unyielding spirit and hope for renewal even amid the deepest despair. Far more than a fictional narrative, it serves as a poignant testament to history, chronicling a shared trauma.
Following the reading, podcast host John Freedman, a writer and translator, engages in an insightful conversation with the author. They explore whether the poem can be seen as a historical document. Bondarenko reflects on how the war has reshaped his life, his evolving sense of normalcy, and his search for new meaning in a world irrevocably altered.
4 Nov 2024
Episode 4. Joe Spano – Call Things by Their Names
In the fourth episode of the A Dictionary of Ukrainian Emotions podcast, iconic American actor Joe Spano reads Call Things by their Names, a text by Ukrainian playwright Tetyana Kytsenko.
Written in the early days of the full-scale invasion, Kytsenko piece delves into questions of national identity and cultural heritage. She contemplates how war reshapes self-awareness, urging a renewed understanding of the names and meanings behind familiar places, including streets bearing the names of foreign cultural figures.
After the reading, podcast host and acclaimed writer and translator John Freedman joins Spano in a thought-provoking discussion on the complexities of national identity: its roots, evolution, and the impact of historical events. Together, they explore how past and present weave together to shape a people’s collective consciousness and the elements that form a sense of national belonging.
22 Oct 2024
Episode 3. Wayne Maugans – The Peed-Upon Armored Personnel Carrier
In the third episode of the A Dictionary of Ukrainian Emotions podcast, American actor, director, and producer Wayne Maugans, known for his work in theatre, film, and television, reads from The Peed-Upon Armoured Personnel Carrier, a play by Ukrainian playwright Oksana Grytsenko.
The play tells the story of life in a small village in southern Ukraine during the Russian occupation. The villagers, initially confused and terrified, watch the invasion unfold, unsure of how to react. Over time, their fear gives way to anger, and they decide to resist — though in an unexpected and unusual manner.
After Maugans reading, the podcast host, writer and translator John Freedman, engages in a thoughtful discussion with him, exploring the themes raised by Grytsenko’s work. How does fear reshape a community’s sense of security? What compels people to remain in occupied towns and villages despite the looming dangers? These reflections offer listeners deeper insight into how, even in the bleakest circumstances, human resilience and humour can transform despair into a bold act of defiance.
8 Oct 2024
Episode 2. Kristin Milward – I Want to Go Home
In the second episode of a Dictionary of Ukrainian Emotions podcast, star Kristin Milward reads Oksana Savchenko's powerful monologue, I Want to Go Home.
This emotionally charged piece portrays a woman living through the war, reflecting on how it alters people's lives, perspectives, and dreams. The author contrasts memories of past happiness and freedom with the harsh realities of the present. Although the protagonist is safe abroad, her thoughts continually return to her beloved Kyiv, where her heart and loved ones remain.
Following the reading, podcast host John Freedman, a writer and translator, speaks with Kristin Milward about her impressions of visiting Ukraine during the war. Kristin shares her experiences and highlights the importance of supporting Ukrainian culture in the face of Russian military aggression.
24 Sept 2024
Episode 1. Alessandra Torresani – How to talk to the dead
The first episode of "A Dictionary of Ukrainian Emotions" centres on Anastasiia Kosodii’s short play "How to Talk to the Dead", written in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The play was inspired by the horrors witnessed in cities like Bucha, Mariupol, and others.
The podcast itself grew from the anthology "A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War", initiated and translated by John Freedman and published by Laertes Press, under the leadership of Nina Kamberos.
In this debut episode, renowned American actress Alessandra Torresani performs a reading of Kosodii’s play, followed by an insightful conversation between Freedman and Kosodii about the work’s themes. The episode concludes with an interview with Nina Kamberos, who shares her experience publishing this important collection of Ukrainian plays, written during the first months of the war.
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