Украдене щастя (НАДТ)

We invite you to the performance “Stolen Happiness” – a deep and emotionally rich stage reading of the eponymous classic play by Ivan Franko, whose meanings remain relevant to this day. It is a story about love, choice, and inner struggle that makes one reflect on what true happiness is – and whether it can be attained without paying a high price.

A story about love that knows no peace

The plot of the performance “Stolen Happiness” revolves around a complicated love triangle. Anna, whom her brothers forced to marry without love, tries to come to terms with her fate alongside kind but unloved husband Mykola. But everything changes when Mykhailo, her former lover whom she believed dead, suddenly appears in their lives. The feeling that seemed lost ignites with new strength, drawing all three into a whirlpool of passion, pain, and despair.

This is a tragic story not only about love. It is about a choice that has no right answer. Each character in the performance has the right to happiness, but none can obtain it without losses. The tension, worthy of Shakespearean tragedies, and the sense of impending horror do not let the audience go until the last minute, leaving no room for simple answers.

A new perspective on Ukrainian classics

Ivan Franko's work “Stolen Happiness” – is a recognized masterpiece of world dramaturgy, Ukrainian classic tested by time. It has inspired dozens of directors, and in 2023, director Yevhen Khramtsov first presented his vision of this story on the NADT stage.

In his production “Stolen Happiness” goes beyond the classic love story. It is a performance about a deep inner conflict, about a person's attempt to find harmony with themselves and the world. The characters confront not only each other but also their own fears, doubts, and painful questions of faith, guilt, and the meaning of life.

The finale acquires a special resonance, where Mykhailo's words reveal another dimension of the story – as the tragedy of a person who could not find peace even in love. The viewer is left only to ponder whether happiness can truly be “stolen”, or perhaps our greatest losses are the result of inner contradictions?