David Meth has stories to tell.
The Brooklyn native studied English literature at City University of New York, and learned about life from the poets, playwrights and protestors of Greenwich Village.
He taught English as a second language in South Korea and Tokyo, married a Japanese woman, and returned to the US to write novels and plays.
David Meth
A Westporter for over 4 decades, he also runs writing workshops for cancer survivors at the Westport Weston Family Y.
Now Meth has a new venue for storytelling: Ukraine.
Last year, he got a LinkedIn message from Alex Borovenskiy. The founder and artistic director of ProEnglish Theatre in Kyiv wanted to connect with Meth.
They Zoomed, and discovered a shared passion for preserving and protecting live theater.
It’s an important issue for Meth here in the States. Regional theaters are closing, and our own Westport Country Playhouse recently survived a near-death experience.
It’s important to Borovensky in Ukraine too. As war rages, people desperately need the connections that plays provide.
Borovensky told Meth, “The war will end. But if theater, arts, culture don’t survive, we will have nothing.”
ProEnglish Theater survives in the basement bomb shelter of a building. Some cast and crew members live there. It is, Meth says, “a true haven.”
(Its productions and classes are in English, so actors, audiences and students can feel part of the “international theatre community.”)
Borovensky sent a short video of Ukrainian soldiers singing Christmas songs, in the midst of devastation.
It reminded Meth of the “Cellist of Sarajevo.” During the 1992 siege, a Bosnian musician played in ruined buildings, and at funerals. His bravery inspired musical compositions, and a novel.
The cellist offered hope, in a desperate time. “Theater does that too,” Meth says.
Borovensky invited Meth to write a short play — no more than 3 minutes long — to be directed and performed by students in his theater education program.
Meth was honored. He wrote about a young couple who dream of getting married. When the Russians invade, they must confront whether they can raise a family in wartime.
Then the young woman breaks the news: She wants to go to America.
She could live in Brighton Beach, where there are many Ukrainians.
Or, she tells her fiance, she could go to Westport, Connecticut. She has heard there is strong support for Ukraine there, including a sister city. There is a Ukrainian church nearby too.
Her boyfriend must decide whether to go, or stay and fight alongside his brother.
The short play festival takes place January 13 (11 a.m. EST; click here for the Facebook livestream; click here for the Instagram livestream).
Meth will not be in Kyiv to see it, of course. But he hopes to continue the Westport connection.
He would like to see the festival shown on the Westport Library’s video screen. Borovensky could talk about the importance of Ukrainian theater — perhaps with Mark Shanahan, incoming Westport Playhouse artistic director, who could provide an American perspective on the importance of live theater.
Whether that happens or not, Meth is proud of what he’s done.
“It’s a small contribution to a very profound struggle to keep theater, the arts and culture alive,” he says.
“We should all learn from ProEnglish Theatre in Ukraine.”
(To learn more about David Meth, click here. Tomm earn more about ProEnglish Theatre, click here.)
great story. Westport has so many amazing people that do so much for society.
I agree with Richard, and what’s really fascinating is the type of resident that lived on Beachside Ave. over the last 90 years. From what I hear, now it’s those involved in money management. In the mid 1930s, the Ricardson family, who owned Vicks products, owned three homes. My grandfather rented property from him and farmed it. All Richardson wanted was vegetables. There was J.C. Penny, Phil Donahue, and many others.
That is a Bowdoin ball cap. Good school.
Bravo David! I think there should be a fundraiser to send you to Ukraine to direct the play and stream it to the Library for a live theater event.