Dive a little deeper this week with two performances that combine art and activism to help the audience see the familiar in a completely different way.
‘She is Us’
Oct. 6
“She is Us” by Lidia Russkova is an interactive multimedia performance produced in conjunction with Amnesty International. It opened last week with a performance of four women standing in glass cases. This installation invited people to consider what it’s like to be a woman: in the spotlight, under scrutiny, constantly watched and easily judged. This week the glass showcases are part of another performance, this one inspired by Eve Ensler’s play, “The Vagina Monologues,” in which four actresses will talk about their personal forms and processes of liberation. Afterwards there will be a discussion called, “Do women in Russia have a voice?” On the day of the performance, attendees will be able to participate in the performance and connect with volunteers and organizations engaged in women’s rights and domestic violence.
State Geological Museum. 11 Ulitsa Mokhovaya. Metro Teatralnaya. 6 p.m. For tickets and more information in Russian, see this site.
‘This is Not a Hat’
Oct. 10
Rethinking what we think we know about homeless people is the idea behind the performance “This is Not a Hat” to be held next Wednesday, which is International Homeless Day. Natalia Jafar-Biglou and Teatr.doc’s resident playwright Anastasia Patlai have joined forces to create a play about and with Russia’s homeless women. With issues ranging from poor health to mental disabilities, domestic violence and war, Russia’s homeless women have one thing in common: the loss or destruction of their family homes. This interactive play was developed with a Moscow-based shelter for homeless women and invites the audience to engage as the women share their stories in a safe space.
Fergana House. 4 Sretensky Pereulok. Metro Chistiye Prudy. 7 p.m. For more information see the event’s Facebook page.