Theatre
Ой не ходи, Грицю, та й на вечорниці
Not translated into English
Mykhailo Starytsky · 1887
Synopsis
Maroussia loves Hryts, who loves her too. Khoma, a rich but unattractive young man, wants to marry her and sets about separating the lovers: through gifts, lies and gossip, he wins over Maroussia's mother, sets Hryts against his friend Potap and spreads the rumour that the girl has promised her hand to Potap. At the same time, he pushes Hryts towards Halyna, the daughter of a well-off family. Stung by jealousy, the two lovers each start courting someone else.
Context
A first version, written around 1885 under the title Маруся Чурай with historical characters, was banned twice by the censors. To stage it, the author passed it off under the cover of an already authorised operetta by Volodymyr Aleksandrov, renaming the characters. Recast as a village drama, it obtained its licence in 1887 and his company premiered it in September of the same year, under the title of the song; Lysenko arranged its songs. The text appeared in a collection of his plays, which the censors flagged in 1889. Television made a film of it in 1978.
Who it is for
Five acts mixed with music, songs and dances. The title takes up the first line of a very widespread folk song, which legend attributes to a seventeenth-century poetess.
Prizes and reception
Having become very popular, the play never left the repertoire of Ukrainian troupes and is still performed today.
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