• 2h 15m
• Premiere 2019

VERBA

Ivan Franko Theater

Adaptation by Serhii Masloboiashchykov based on Lesia Ukrainka’s poetic drama The Forest Song. The title “Verba” in Latin translates to “words,” “speech,” “text,” “song lyrics,” “manuscript,” or even “exclamation.” Phonetically, it mirrors the Ukrainian word verba—“willow.” This is no coincidence, as the willow serves as the dwelling of Mavka, the central figure in Lesia Ukrainka’s The Forest Song. At the play’s opening, Mavka emerges from the willow and, in the end, returns to it. Verba—both “words” and “willow”—is also a symbolic space where Lesia Ukrainka resides through her poetic legacy. As Mavka says, “In my heart I found that magic word that turns the savage into human beings.” This intricate phonetic connection seems intentional, woven into the layers of The Forest Song, a deeply complex and multi-dimensional masterpiece. The dramatic love story of Mavka and Lukash draws the audience into a mysterious realm, a place where universal forces and unseen truths shape the lives of the characters. Here, the longing for reality comes at the ultimate price—one’s own life.