My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion Opens at Wilma Theater

photo by DJ Corey Photography

Sasha’s 82-year-old mother lives in Kyiv, Ukraine. It’s where she has been her whole life. So, of course she wouldn’t budge when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. It’s her home.

My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion sounds like it could be a pretty depressing tale about watching something you’ve loved your entire life fall apart. Instead, this world-premiere play is wild, funny, and over-the-top in a way that only the Wilma Theatre could present (in co-production with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company this time around).

Playwright Sasha Denisova was inspired to write this play based on the online chats she had with her mother during the invasion. Though we don’t know Mother personally, cast member Holly Twyford does an excellent job bringing Denisova’s words to the stage and giving audiences a glimpse of her mom’s personality. Stage Sasha (Wilma HotHouse member Suli Holum) speaks directly to the audience, allowing us to imagine- along with her- the situations she has created in her head as a way to cope with the fears of having family members in Kyiv at the time. Did President Zelenskyy, President Biden, even God, actually drop in to visit Mother at her home? And one of them uses a jar of pickles as a weapon?! Well, Sasha likes to think so and these fantasy scenarios are a hilarious way to shine some good vibes onto a not-so-great situation. Lindsay Smiling, HotHouse member and Co-Artistic Director, portrays many of the characters both Mother and Sasha talk about (dare I say his animated impression of Biden is worth the cost of the ticket alone).

This is a see-to-believe performance. We can’t begin to fathom what the people of Kyiv were thinking, feeling, experiencing during the invasion. But Denisova’s story and the Wilma ensemble cast help us feel the weight a bit.

Nominated for eight Helen Hayes awards, My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion runs through February 18th. Tickets here. The League of Live Stream Theater (LOLST) are also collaborating with The Wilma Theater to present a one-time streaming experience available world-wide, on February 9th, 10th, and 11th. $49 for a link to watch the livestream within 24 hours of your purchase.