Logline & Concept
An absurd tragicomedy based on the play by Rinat Tashimov. The protagonist, a disabled man, suddenly launches into space and saves the world. What begins as a family drama slips into a sci-fi satire, raising questions of family, courage, and self-identity. The play explores just how far a person can go to find meaning in life — even as far as literally flying to the stars.
Creative Team
- Director: Nick Dreyden
- Playwright: Rinat Tashimov (Moscow, 2022)
- Organizer: Echo of Lyubimovka Festival — an independent showcase of contemporary Russian drama in Israel
- Venue: Malenky Theatre, Tel Aviv
Premiere
November 6, 2022 — Malenky Theatre, Tel Aviv, as part of Echo of Lyubimovka.
Directorial & Multimedia Concept
Though formally presented as a staged reading, Nick Dreyden transformed the piece into a live performative event.
- A mandatory dialogue with the playwright (who joined remotely from Russia) was reimagined as a performative conflict: the author's face appeared live on screen, directly disputing the director's interpretation. This bold move introduced tension and meta-theatrical commentary, turning the reading into a confrontation between art and reality.
- Actors were tasked with improvising responses to the play's "cosmic" events: chairs suddenly became a rocket ship, a flashlight turned into a comet. Minimalist props (a few cubes) were rearranged into a spacecraft through acting and sound.
- Sound design further amplified the absurdity, shifting from domestic quarrels to roaring rocket engines, making the audience both laugh and hold its breath.
Through these choices, the reading broke out of the frame of a laboratory presentation and took on the energy of a full-fledged performance.
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