Premiere in Suceava: Theater performance for refugees from Ukraine
On Friday, May 27th, we were thrilled to participate in an unforgettable event. Fundația Umanitară ASSIST and the "Matei Vişniec" Municipal Theater from Suceava joined forces to bring smiles to the children and parents fleeing the war in Ukraine. Together we organized a theater performance, especially for them, staged by the “Olga Kobileanska" Music and Drama Theater in Chernivtsi.
By attending this inspiring and heartwarming performance, the refugee families in the Suceava area had the opportunity to put aside, for an hour, their worries and troubles. The show, which was entitled "The Snowman Who Wanted to Meet the Sun," was created for both adults and children to enjoy; although their perspectives were different, their emotions turned out to be just as strong. Dozens of children lit up our day with their smiles.
As sponsors, we helped to organize the event, sponsored the performance, and provided transport for the actors from Chernivtsi to Suceava and back. All refugees from Ukraine had free access to the show, and the play was performed in Ukrainian to give them back at least a piece of the art and life they were leading before the war. To make everyone feel welcome, the Romanian public benefited from Romanian subtitles.
Looking for the sun
Some of the volunteers from the Fundația Umanitară ASSIST attended the performance and thus experienced the emotions right from the heart of the story. For an hour, we set aside other worries and set off in search of the sun with our brave snowman. We learned an emotional and hard lesson about kindness, empathy, and altruism. The snowman's dream became true because of the power to share one’s wealth and the desire to do good for others. Thus, he received what he wanted from the sun - to always be present among his friends, in the form of a “beautiful dream.”
The story was a beautiful dream, a joy that the whole Ukrainian community longs for, together with the Fundația Umanitară ASSIST. Through the eyes of children and parents, we saw what both sadness and joy mean. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to put a smile on their face and to be closer to the community we support. Hopefully, at least for a moment, we made them feel like they were in the past ... when they were home with their families and life was every day.
The show's author is Matei Vişniec, with stage direction by Radu Ghilaș. Our special appreciation goes to the actors of the “Olga Kobileanska” Music and Drama Theater in Chernivtsi for the exceptional and captivating performance. We also thank our partners from the "Matei Vişniec" Municipal Theater for the unique collaboration and the opportunity to make this event possible!
