‘28 Days’: a staged reading by Olga Shiliaeva

The play is structured according to the principles of ancient tragedy: the heroine’s journey follows the phases of the menstrual cycle. The protagonist, ‘She’, experiences the 28 days of the menstrual cycle.

In each phase, she experiences a whole range of sensations and tries to discover her own true thoughts and feelings amidst a chorus of voices and opinions.

‘That time of the month’, ‘Aunt Flo’, ‘Shark Week’. We’ve come up with thousands of euphemisms just to avoid having to say the word ‘menstruation’. Yet around half of humanity has their period. It is essential for the continuation of human life on Earth. So why are we so afraid to talk about it openly?

From 28 October to 6 November, a theatre workshop will take place, culminating in a staged reading of ‘28 Days’. The seven participants are working on physical movement with choreographer Daria Sheiko; on voice and sound with Alina-Aljosha Anufrienko (composer, sound artist) and AnaNas Nasonkina (sound researcher, sound engineer); with set and costume designer Aleksandra Kharina on handmade masks; and with director Anja Demidova on the text and staging.

The play premiered at ‘Lubimovka’, the Moscow Festival of New Drama, was nominated for the ‘Golden Mask’ award and has been translated into English, German, Polish and French.

The reading is part of the PANDAwomen Festival and is supported by Quarteera as part of the ‘Queer Culture against Disinformation’ programme.

Content warning: The text contains references to sexualised violence. If this topic might be a trigger for you, please take care of yourself.

• When: Friday, 6 November, 7.30 pm
• Where: PANDA platforma, Kulturbrauerei · Knaackstr. 97, 10435 Berlin
• Admission: €20 online, €25 on the door
• Duration: 1 hour, no interval

Tickets

(Language: English)