Culture

“How do you fit your entire life in a suitcase?” actress Ismenia Mendes asks, sitting center stage. You might recognize her from Orange Is the New Black , but tonight, she’s not just playing a role—she’s giving voice to someone else’s reality. The New York City’s West End Theatre stage glows red and blue. The performers sit with scripts in hand. This is a Diary of War reading.

Ukraine’s Kobzars were once the nation’s living memory—blind troubadours who sang of war, loss, and resilience. Nearly erased by Soviet purges, their tradition endures, echoing through time.

As the final punters settled into their seats in a room full of giddy excitement, comedy host Oleksandr Kachura made an announcement. “Remember, we are the Underground Standup in name and function. If there happen to be any air raid alerts, our evening won’t be interrupted.”

In Kharkiv, a city battered by relentless Russian attacks, artists, curators, and performers refuse to leave their home. They won’t let the war silence them. Their studios double as bomb shelters, their exhibitions continue even amid blackouts, and their theaters adapt to missile alerts. 

In a city where air raid sirens punctuate daily life and the weight of war is felt in every street, Macbeth has struck a nerve. With tickets sold out until May, betrayal, power, and paranoia are no longer just themes on stage but echoes of a country fighting for its survival.

We asked German Designer Frank Peter Wilde for his thoughts on the symbolic importance of fashion during war.