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Diary of War – Benefit reading with United Help Ukraine for Hospitallers
Time: 7 PM Bandura performance by Olga Perepelytsia / 7:30 PM Reading / 9 PM Live auction
Collected, produced by: Daria Kolomiec
Directed by: Musa Gurnis
Cast: Holly Twyford, Tony Nam, Renee Wilson, Lolita-Marie Clayton, Emily Townley, Drew Kopas, Jeremy Keith Hunter.
Join us for this moving performance and hear DC’s most acclaimed actors use their voices to share true stories of Ukraine resilience.
Rooted in the Diary of War documentary podcast by Ukrainian cultural activist and Time Magazine Next Generation Leader Daria Kolomiec, the project developed into impactful performances with NY's Private Theatre, transforming true stories into profoundly moving theatrical experiences. The project captures the raw and emotional stories of Ukrainians during the full-scale Russian war, providing a window into the personal impact of the ongoing invasion.
Since February 2024, Diary of War benefit readings produced by Kolomiec have repeatedly sold out venues across New York City, including Bedlam’s West End Theater and the Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research, raising over $90,000 for Ukrainian volunteer organizations conducting frontline medical evacuations and supporting female veterans.
This long-awaited event marks the DC premiere of Diary of War. The announcement of the DC reading has been eagerly anticipated by many who have followed the project from the start through social media, press, and word-of-mouth.
The date of May 30 was chosen deliberately: May 29, marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Iryna Tsybukh (call sign Cheka) – one of the project’s diarists, a combat medic with the Hospitallers volunteer battalion. She was killed during a rotation on the Kharkiv frontline on May 29, 2024. Since her passing, all readings have been held in her memory. We meet on the anniversary of Iryna’s death to mourn her loss and to honor her sacrifice.
Directed and co-produced by Musa Gurnis, the reading at Atlas Performing Arts Space will share the testimonies of seven Ukrainians whose lives were irrevocably changed by war:
Iryna Tsybukh (call sign Cheka), a film producer and a project manager in civilian life, shares her work as a combat medic in the Hospitallers volunteer battalion, evacuating soldiers in hot spots on the front line. In May 2024, she was killed during her rotation.
Olena Nikulina, the wife of Maksym Nikulin, a soldier of the Azov Regiment, describes learning about her second pregnancy while her husband was at the Azovstal factory surrounded by Russians. Since his capture, Olena has not heard from Maksym, and he has never met his son.
Denys Khrystov, a former TV host, evacuated hundreds of people and animals from the war zone; some of the towns he visited with his evacuation assignments no longer exist.
Julia Kochetova, a photojournalist who regularly works in Ukraine's most dangerous places, reports about Russian war crimes. She was awarded an Emmy in 2023 and a World Press Photo Award in 2024 for her work.
Olha Bulkina describes her work as a clown at Kyiv's Ohmatdyt, the largest children's hospital in Ukraine, struck by a Russian missile in the summer of 2024.
Marat Shevchenko is a stageman and DJ who had to flee his occupied hometown of Kupiansk on an old motorcycle with his vinyl records and ethnic embroidered shirt.
Yurii Marchenko, a Ukrainian journalist, storyteller, and editor-in-chief at Platfor.ma, a media and creative agency for social projects, tells about losing his pet pug and being unable to get timely veterinary assistance during the first weeks of the full-scale war.
The reading features a stunning cast of beloved DC actors, including: Holly Twyford, Tony Nam, Renee Wilson, Lolita Marie Clayton, Emily Townley, Drew Kopas, and Jeremy Keith Hunter.
The evening will start at 7 PM with an exceptional performance by Olga Perepelytsia, a versatile bandura player and educator, followed by Georgian-Ukrainian singer-songwriter, composer and producer Sophie Villy, who will offer a unique interpretation of the Ukrainian folk song.
All funds raised from this event will be transferred to United Help Ukraine – a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit providing humanitarian, medical, and psychological assistance to those affected by the Russian war in Ukraine since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and occupied part of eastern Ukraine. UHU also raises awareness and advocates for Ukraine to remain a free, democratic, and independent nation.
As part of its medical aid program, UHU will support Hospitallers, a Ukrainian volunteer organization that delivers crucial medical care on the battlefield, facilitates the evacuation of the wounded, and assists with their recovery. Since 2014, Hospitallers have been instrumental in evacuating over 20,000 people from combat zones and continue their work to this day.
Can I donate if I can’t attend the event?
Yes! You can donate directly to United Help Ukraine in support of Hospitallers – https://www.classy.org/give/687052/#!/donation/checkout
Event Links
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