Theatre in Times of War and Elections: From Mariupol to Zelensky
Georges Banu reflects on theatre's entanglement with real-world drama, from the bombing of Mariupol's drama theatre where civilians died wearing stage costumes, to political performances by Valérie Pécresse and Volodymyr Zelensky. He contrasts tragic events—the 2002 Moscow theatre siege, the Bataclan attack, Lincoln's assassination—with politicians' theatrical missteps, noting how theatre can both amplify tragedy and undermine political credibility.
Key facts
- Civilians in Mariupol theatre used costume storage for warmth before bombing on March 16, 2022.
- Lioudmyla Kolossovytch reported on the Mariupol theatre bombing in Le Monde on April 11, 2022.
- Valérie Pécresse's February 13, 2022 meeting at Zénith de Paris was criticized as theatrical overreach.
- Volodymyr Zelensky, a former actor, is cited as an exception to the distrust of actors in politics.
- The 2002 Moscow theatre siege by Chechen terrorists ended with Russian forces killing hostages and attackers.
- The Bataclan theatre attack in Paris (2015) is compared to other theatre-related tragedies.
- Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in a theatre box.
- Philip II of Macedon was stabbed while entering an arena.
Entities
Artists
- Georges Banu
- Lioudmyla Kolossovytch
- Charlie Chaplin
- Volodymyr Zelensky
- Valérie Pécresse
- Ségolène Royal
- Jacques Chirac
- Ion Caramitru
- Sarah Bernhardt
- Édouard de Max
- Talma
- Napoleon
- Adolf Hitler
- Bertolt Brecht
- Nicolae Ceaucescu
Institutions
- Le Monde
- Théâtre d'art dramatique de Marioupol
- Bataclan
- Zénith de Paris
- Parti des Républicains
- Kremlin
Locations
- Marioupol
- Ukraine
- Moscou
- Russia
- Paris
- France
- Roumanie
- Première Guerre mondiale
Sources
- artpress —