Ukrainian children stage "Mom on Skype" to fundraise against war at Irondale Theater in Brooklyn
NEW YORK - A quiet street in Fort Greene stands in sharp contrast to what's happening inside a former church, where a young Ukrainian cast is rehearsing for an upcoming performance of "Mom on Skype," at Brooklyn's Irondale Theater.
Eight children, ages 7 to 14, a director-mom, and other parent chaperones, have been invited to the United States from their war-torn homeland for a unique presentation of their original play.
"These Ukrainian children - how brave they are. How did you decide on this?" CBS2's Dana Tyler asked Terry Greiss, executive director and co-founder of the Irondale Theater.
"What do they do in the middle of a war when bombs are falling around them, potentially? They decide to make a play. That's incredible," Greiss said. "I thought we've got to get them here."
And that's what Greiss helped do after reading about the show. After months of red tape, visa applications and some political wrangling, he saw what he calls an impossible project finally realized.
"Every one of them that came over, they hugged me, they thanked me for bringing them here. They were so, what can you say, genuine," Greiss said.
The play was in production for months before the war started in Ukraine in February. It was performed in April, only once, in a warehouse-turned-bomb shelter in Lviv.
"Mom on Skype" is based a series of stories about children missing their parents, who are forced to work far away from their families.
"They understand us, how other kids or children live without parents, without mom. All kid need is love from parents," said 12-year-old Maharyta Kuzma.
The production was a labor of love for director Oleg Oneshchak, but as a soldier, he was not allowed to leave the country. His wife, Maria, mother of actors Hanna and Oleksii, stepped in to direct stateside, with Ukrainian memories ever present.
"When were you in the bomb shelter, rehearsing - what on earth was that like?" Tyler asked.
In Ukrainian, she explained they live in Kyiv, in Ukraine, where the refugees would come, where many people lost their homes.
"We have air alarms, several times a day," said Tetiana Mysiuha, through a translator. "We are in the place where people would come to save their lives."
Mysiuha is also a mother to 13-year-old Anastasiia, who is in the play.
"When we went to America, it's like another life because it's without any alarms without any dangers, without any planes, Russians' planes," she said.
Beyond rehearsals, there's been some much-appreciated downtime. The kids were hosted at a camp in Connecticut, and they stay in touch with new friends. They also enjoyed a much-anticipated trip to the Statue of Liberty.
"Liberty" has become an even more critical component in producing the play. Their goal is to raise money for a fighter jet.
"Close the sky because we want to live. We want to live in our house with our parents, with our beds in our Ukraine," said 13-year-old Valeria Khozhempa.
"When they had a premiere in a shelter, they decided that they could, with their acting, with their play, try and raise some money for our armed forces," Tetiana Mysiuha said.
Themes of missing parents, under the specter of today's times, are never more poignant.
"It hurts, yeah. The children can't touch their parents, can't hug," said 14-year-old Khrystyna Hniedko.
The show ends with an original song, a plea for peace written and sung mostly in English by 12-year-old Hanna.
For this message, even Oneshchak found words in English.
"Please, this war. This genocide must stop. Because we want life, we love life, and our country very beautiful," Oneshchak said.
For more information about "Mom on Skype," CLICK HERE.