Child of Hungry Times

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Moscow premier of Child of Hungry Times, a one-woman play written, produced, and starring Bridget Bailey, a friend of mine here in Moscow. The play, performed in English, is based on the writings of Russian writer Lyudmila Petrushevskaya who produced touching - and often controversial - portraits of Russian women and their place in Soviet society.

I have yet to decide which I find more impressive - the power of Petrushevskaya's characters, or Bridget's skill in bringing them all to life (she plays six separate characters, giving unique vitality and identity to each one). Obviously, the great achievement of the show is the combination of Petrushevskaya's groundbreaking writing (which was too controversial to publish during much of the Soviet era) and Bridget's own remarkable acting gifts. I think I might have to see the show a second time to decide which aspect is more impressive.

And so should you, if you happen to be an English speaker in Moscow this weekend.

The play is showing in the Zal Vladimir (mezzanine level) at the Baltschug Kempinski Hotel in Moscow on April 28th and 29th. The show begins at 8:00 pm and tickets are free, though they would be well worth paying for if we had to!

I strongly encourage anyone reading this in Moscow to attend if they're able.

And, for those of you reading this from the comfortable bliss of the United States, do not despair. Mother Russia is losing Bridget this fall when she returns to the states to persue a production of Child of Hungry Times off Broadway in New York. So with any luck, we'll get to see this impressive show back home too.