Today My Cat Died – PREMIERE | in English

Autofictional coming-of-age story about a girl navigating her relationship with her own queer sexuality, personal identity, family dynamics, and, most prominently, death – in a series of episodes conveyed through the life and perception of her cat.

Staging includes a mix of live music, performance, and digital animation.

The play written in 2021 received multiple awards in Russia, including the prestigious Lubimovka New Dramaturgy Festival Award. It has been staged in various cities across Russia, however, the text underwent severe censorship due to its exploration of queer and political themes, and as a result was cut and re-written without the consent of the author. This production is an attempt to restore the narrative and tell the story in the way it was intended for the first time. In terms of inclusion, even though it is a deeply personal story, it portrays quite a universal experience of sexual/gender/national identity search and acceptance, coming to terms with mortality and learning to live and love no matter what.

In the current circumstances, the play also deals with Russian immigrant diaspora in Helsinki – the core of the production creative team for this performance deliberately consists of Russian immigrant artists who had to flee the country due to their political beliefs.

Performers:
Vera Boitcova and Sofia Stupenkova
Musician: Yoandy Jimeno
Designer: Jenni Sarkkinen
Director: Gil Hoz-Klemme
Dramaturg: Saari Juti
Animation: Boris Abrosimov

Duration: 75 min
Age: 14+
Language: English