Girls — we run this Russia.
The Kenan Theatre Company is known for its unique and provocative productions. Starting tonight, the company is presenting the Lillian Chason production, “The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls,” written by Meg Miroshnik.
This is the second Lillian Chason production at KTC. The Chason family funded a graduate of the directing program at Brown University to come work with UNC students on behalf of their daughter. Lillian, who was a drama major at UNC, died in 2009.
The production, which is told in a dark, comedic tone, centers around Annie, a native Russian who returns to her home country to lose her American accent. In Russia, Annie’s conflict revolves around understanding the fairytale lives of beautiful Russian women sporting high heels, and more importantly, her own life.
The powerful friendships of the Russian women are highlighted in the play, focusing on the idea that relationships create powerful and successful people.
“After reading this play, I knew I wanted to be involved in this year’s production,” Nell Ovitt, an actor in the play and a dramatic art and English double major, said. “It has been fantastic and inspiring working with such smart and talented women.”
The play shows that although taking control of one’s own life in today’s world can be taxing, positive relationships make people capable of dealing with life’s challenges. Understanding other people's stories may lead to an understanding of your own.
Claire Koenig, a senior dramatic arts major and member of the cast, said working on this play was refreshing because of its powerful message.
“It’s a story about empowerment and thriving in less-than-stellar situations,” she said. “It was so refreshing to work with an all-female cast on this story about women taking charge of their own stories."
