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Welcome to Wharton Center

Dear educators and students,

Welcome to Wharton Center's Act One School Series!

We are thrilled to have you join us for another exciting season of live performances designed to inspire, educate, and entertain. The Act One School Series is an extraordinary opportunity to experience the power of live theater, with shows carefully selected to enhance classroom learning and provide students with unforgettable cultural experiences.

Each performance in this series is crafted to spark curiosity, ignite creativity, and promote a deeper understanding of the world around us. We aim to offer a diverse range of programming that connects to classroom curricula and supports the development of critical thinking, empathy, and self-expression.

We believe that exposure to the arts can have a profound impact on young minds, and we are honored to be a part of your students' educational journey. Our team is committed to making your experience at Wharton Center memorable, engaging, and enriching. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance during your visit.

Thank you for your dedication to your students and for choosing to participate in the Act One School Series. We look forward to welcoming you and your students to the theater and hope this season will leave you inspired and eager for more.

Enjoy the show!

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Introduction to Kurbasy

Kurbasy is a performing arts group from Lviv (Lu-veev), Ukraine.
The main members of the group are Maria Oneschak and Natalia Rybka-Parkhomenko. They are both singers and actors. Sometimes, they perform together as a duet, but for bigger shows, Vsevolod Sadovyji and other musicians perform with them.

These musicians play a wide range of different acoustic instruments and sing as well.

Maria and Natalia often sing in harmony. Maria usually sings the higher notes, and Natalia sings the lower ones. They are part of a long tradition of women singing folk songs in Ukraine, a tradition that goes back many generations.
Natalia says, “We sing old Ukrainian songs that our grandmothers taught us—songs passed down from grandparents to grandchildren in villages all across Ukraine.” Maria adds, “It was singing that brought us together.”

Kurbasy World Culture Introduction

Watch this video for more information:

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History of Kurbasy

Where does the name come from?

Maria and Natalia met while working as actors at the Les Kurbas Theater in Lviv. The theater is named after Les Kurbas, a famous Ukrainian director and teacher from the 1920s and 1930s. At that time Ukraine was under the control of the Soviet Union, which is now known as Russia. The Soviet government didn’t like that Kurbas promoted Ukrainian culture. He was arrested and later executed for his work, which was seen as “anti-Soviet.” Today, Maria and Natalia named their group Kurbasy to honor him and his dedication to Ukrainian culture.

What’s the origin of their music?

Les Kurbas liked to use creative ideas, such as symbols and abstract images in his plays. Kurbasy also uses this style in their performances. They add videos and images to their shows to help the audience use their imagination. This helps people from all over the world enjoy their performances—even if they don’t speak Ukrainian and understand the lyrics of the songs.

�“Our songs are filled with love,” Natalia says. They show love for Ukraine’s history, and also for the strength and beauty of the Ukrainian people today.

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Pre-Show Questions

What do you know about folk music?
How can music be a form of storytelling?
Why is it important to preserve and celebrate cultural traditions like music and language?
What are some ways we can celebrate different cultures?
What would you want to ask the members of Kurbasy?

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Lviv, Ukraine

What do you know about Ukraine?

Geography:

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe.
About the same size as the U.S. state of Texas and is the second-largest country in Europe, after Russia. The capital and biggest city is Kyiv (Keev).
In the western part of the country, near the city of Lviv, there are the Carpathian Mountains. This area has forests, lakes and valleys where many small villages are found.
Because Ukraine has different kinds of land, it also has many different traditions and customs.

Lviv:

Lviv is a city in western Ukraine, close to the border with Poland. About 1.1 million people live there.
Lviv was founded in 1250, so it has a long and rich history. You can see it in the colorful old buildings, narrow walkways, stone streets and big ancient churches.
The city’s mix of styles comes from many cultures that have influenced it over time, including Polish, Austrian and Ukrainian, as well as a large Jewish population.
Today, Lviv celebrates its past, but it is also a modern city full of creativity. Artists paint large murals on walls and music is everywhere. People play instruments in the streets, and there are lots of theaters and bookstores.
Lviv is one of the most exciting cultural places in Ukraine. It’s a city where history and art come together.

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Ukraine’s History

1991: Ukraine finally becomes an independent country again, but its relationship with Russia stayed tense.
2022: Russia invaded Ukraine in a full-scale war. Ukrainians have been fighting ever since to protect their country and freedom.

Maria says the war is a constant source of tension. “Even when we try to forget,” she says, “it’s still there, pressing on our hearts.” For the music group Kurbasy, singing helps them deal with that feeling and remember what it means to be Ukrainian.

Ukraine has a long and difficult history.
Late 1800s: became part of the Russian Empire.
1917: became independent for a short time. But soon, it was taken over by the Soviet Union.
1930s: Soviet decisions caused a terrible famine in Ukraine that killed millions of people. During World War II, Nazi Germany took control of Ukraine for a time and killed many Jewish people who lived there.

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What is folk music?

While many of Ukraine’s folk songs are old, they are still familiar, and young people have begun to update and modernize them. They mix the old melodies with dance music and DJ beats. They still say something special about the people but they sound new! One group of performers who have recently added their own creativity to traditional folk songs is Kurbasy.

Folk Songs in Ukraine

Sung for important life events, such as when people are born and when they get married.
Sung to say hello or goodbye
Sung while working on their farms, doing chores, walking in the woods, noticing the changes in the seasons or to share local gossip.
Usually, these are performed in groups, or choirs. And they are often sung a cappella, without any instruments. Ukrainians believe that their folk songs say something special about who they are.

Folk Songs

Songs connected to a place or community.
Can be very old or new, and are passed from one generation to the next or from one group to another through oral tradition, meaning hearing and singing, rather than learned from books.
Words and melodies adapt from singer to singer throughout generations.
Folk songs are part of life in communities the world over, including your own!

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What is folk music?

Women in Folk Tradition:

Women and girls have always played an important part in keeping the tradition of singing folk songs in Ukraine.
As primary keepers of traditions and culture, many Ukrainian folk songs were created and performed by women, particularly songs of love, loss, and longing, often sung in multiple parts.
Long ago, the people of a Ukrainian village would gather together at the end of the school or work day; not only to play but to sing folk songs that they had learned by heart. They often even sang in harmony.

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Pre-Show Activity

Before we go see Kurbasy, let’s learn a little bit more about Ukraine! Here’s a video with five fun facts about Ukraine: Learn Five Fun Facts About Ukraine Link

After watching the video, write down or discuss in groups five fun facts from your hometown, state, or country.

Questions you might answer could include:

Is your region known for a specific food?

What do you know about traditional clothing in your region?

Are there famous or traditional songs that you know derived from this place?

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Learning Activity 1

Learning Phrases in Ukrainian

Now that we’ve listened to quite a few songs in Ukrainian, let’s try to learn a few phrases ourselves. Learning other languages is good for your brain and helpful to communicate with people from other cultures.

Greetings in Ukrainian

Ukrainian Alphabet- Talking Zoo

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Learning Activity 2:

A very special part of a Kurbasy performance is the way they project images and designs on a large screen while they sing to help tell the story of the song. Try designing your own background for a stage performance like Kurbasy. What kind of images, colors, or scenery do you think would best emphasize the performance? How does scenery help the audience feel a part of the show? Another important part of Kurbasy is the traditional dresses. Can you draw or design an outfit that reflects something about you?

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Learning Activity 3

Listen to one or both of the following Kurbasy songs. While listening, doodle on a piece of paper along with the song. Your doodles can respond to the song’s mood, energy, or rhythm.

“Oh my Forest” Oh my Forest Kurbasy Video Link

“Cucumbers” Cucumbers Kurbasy Video Link

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Questions for Reflection After the Performance

What were your first thoughts about Kurbasy?
What did you find interesting about their style of singing and performing?
What aspects did you like or dislike?
What are some of the similarities and differences of Kurbasy to singing groups that you like to listen to?

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