KnAM Theatre's 'I'M FINE' Explores Exile and Asylum in Post-2022 Context

The KnAM Theatre, founded in 1985 by Tatiana Frolova in Komsomolsk-sur-Amur, Russia, relocated to Lyon following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Now associated with the Théâtre des Célestins, the company presents 'I'M FINE,' a production created in 2025 that addresses themes of exile and asylum. The piece was performed from March 25 to 28, 2026, at MC 93 in Bobigny, France, with plans for a tour. It serves as a theatrical journal, blending personal anecdotes, historical references, and live-translated texts in French and Russian to examine displacement and memory. The staging employs a 'povera' aesthetic, using simple elements like personal photos, news clippings, and plastic sheeting. Performers include Dmitrii Bocharov, Irina Chernousova, Vladimir Dmitriev, Egor Frolov, Bleue Isambard, and Liudmila Smirnova, with music by Egor Frolov and video by Tatiana Frolova and Vladimir Smirnov. The work contrasts resilience with trauma, referencing figures from Lenin to contemporary political dissidents, and questions the role of art in times of conflict. A text from the production is published by Koïnè editions.