Vineyard Theatre will hold the first New York reading of seven 10-minute plays from Young Playwrights Ukraine, entitled This Is Not A Dream, May 6 at 7:00 PM. The reading will be directed by Jodie Markell.

The evening will feature works written by Anna Brovarna, Taya Fedorenko, Uliana Klimchuk, Tanya Kostyniuk, Asia Pshenychna, Sasha Sereda, and Karina Syrota. Each play tells the story of people seeking connection and hope during wartime. 

“It’s been over two years since the war began, and now more than ever people need to see these plays," Laura Cahill, founder and artistic director of Young Playwrights Ukraine, said in a statement. "The young writers give us a glimpse into the lives of their families, friends, and neighbors, and show us what it means to be an ordinary person in a war-torn country. We’re thrilled that the Vineyard is giving the writers a chance to share their heartbreaking, funny, hopeful, and important plays with the world.”

Young Playwrights Ukraine is a company of young writers, actors and directors, aged 16-21, living in war conditions. Many left their homes and are now residing in different parts of Europe and the US; others remain in Ukraine, living with frequent missile attacks. Since 2022 they have met on Zoom twice a week, driven by a mission to tell their stories to the world and to give a voice to those who cannot.

This Is Not A Dream is free and open to the public. Click here to reserve tickets.