Cassandra at Teatro LATEA

Written by Lesia Ukrainka, one of Ukraine’s greatest literary figures and pioneering feminist voices, Cassandra is set at the end of the Trojan War and follows the prophetess Cassandra, cursed by Apollo never to have her harrowing visions believed. She wages a fraught inner battle to speak truth to power even when no one listens. With the unbreakable heroine of Cassandra, this classic 1908 dramatic poem embodies Ukrainka’s legacy of portraying women not as passive figures but as seers, warriors and visionaries.

Cassandra is not simply a retelling of myth. It is a mirror for today. In an era defined by authoritarianism, disinformation, and wars fought both on the battlefield and in the realm of narrative, Ukrainka’s vision feels urgent. Cassandra’s curse – to see what others refuse to believe – echoes Ukraine’s ongoing struggle for truth under Russian aggression. This production situates the play in the current contexts, underscoring the dangers of denial and distortion while inviting audiences to confront the cost of silencing reality. Bringing Cassandra to the American stage is an act of cultural recognition.