Theatre of Yugen at NOHspace: Wachowicz / Fret Studio Poland – Granica / The Border (2024, U.S. Premiere)

Granica / The Border
The Border oscillates between the acts of performance, ritual and ceremony; simultaneously a “rite of passage” or a moment of “receiving and giving.” The Border attempts to create a new field, where time is only a moving image of eternity.

The Border takes as its focus the true story of transgendered Ukrainian performance artist, Antonina Romanova – a member of the Polish theatre ensemble, Teatr ZAR. Romanova was drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukrainian to fight against the invading Russian army in 2023. Initially the project was supposed to exist as a film documentary about Romanova’s tour of duty. But when the war extended from months to years and Ukrainian troops were not demobilized, or even rotated from the front lines, it became a different type of exploration. Acknowledged in Edinburgh with a Fringe First Award in 2024, The Border was created from the need to raise awareness on behalf of those whose voices are in suspension.