Ukrainian Drama Showcase New York 2026 livestream free

Four nights, six plays, free worldwide livestream. The first ever Ukrainian Drama Showcase opens 7 May in New York, including Lesia Ukrainka's iconic Blue Rose

The Ukrainian Drama Showcase at Flamboyan Theater, New York, May 2026. Presented by Razom for Ukraine

Written by

Lex Melony

Article type :

Preview

Published on

04 May 2026

The first ever Ukrainian Drama Showcase opens in Manhattan on 7 May, with four nights of staged readings and a free worldwide livestream of weekend performances via HowlRound Theatre Commons.

*Performers at the Ukrainian Drama Showcase, New York, May 2026. Presented by Razom for Ukraine*

New York's Lower East Side becomes home to Ukrainian theatre from 7 to 10 May 2026, when Razom for Ukraine presents the first ever Ukrainian Drama Showcase at Flamboyan Theater inside the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center. Six Ukrainian plays in English translation will be staged as readings across four nights, each performed more than once so audiences can attend for a single evening or the full weekend.

One play in particular will resonate with queer audiences. The Blue Rose by Lesia Ukrainka, written in 1896, explores female sexuality, unconventional love and the rejection of marriage and motherhood at a time when Ukrainian itself was a language the Russian Empire was trying to erase.

Ukrainka, who had a deeply documented romantic relationship with fellow writer Olha Kobylianska, has become a touchstone for queer Ukrainian culture. The play's title has since been adopted by Ukrainian LGBTQIA+ artists and activists as a symbol of queer resilience and resistance against Russian cultural erasure. Seeing it staged in New York in 2026 carries weight. It is directed by Rory Pelsue, with a cast of seven.

*^{Larysa Kosach, known as Lesia Ukrainka, Ukrainian poet, playwright and activist.}*

^{Lesia Ukrainka and Olha Kobylianska, whose deeply documented romantic relationship has made Ukrainka a touchstone for queer Ukrainian culture}

The rest of the programme is just as strong. Balance by Alina Sarnatska is a darkly funny monologue drawn directly from her experience as a combat medic on the front lines, and Sarnatska herself will travel from Ukraine to attend.

New York, Donetsk, Ukraine: 100°F by Oleksandr Zhuhan takes its name from a small town in the Donetsk region that Russian forces destroyed. A Harvest Truce by novelist Serhiy Zhadan, The Chronicles of the Lost Soul by Anna Halas and The Order of Neatly Made Beds by Lena Lagushonkova complete the six.

Ukrainian cinema and literature have found international audiences in recent years. Theatre has not, and the Showcase addresses that gap directly.

In-person performances run across all four days. The free worldwide livestream covers Saturday and Sunday performances only, via HowlRound Theatre Commons at howlround.com.

In-person tickets at razomforukraine.org.