In SpaceBridge, Russian refugee children and their American-born friends unite in joyful resistance, offering anti-war messages and reimagining what it means to belong. Runs NOV 21-23 at the Paramount in Boston.

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Russian refugee children and their American-born friends unite in joyful resistance, offering anti-war messages and reimagining what it means to belong.
Following its acclaimed New York premiere, the groundbreaking and deeply moving SpaceBridge comes to Boston! In this singular production, Russian refugee children—who fled to the U.S. with their families for opposing the war in Ukraine and now reside in NYC shelters—join forces with their American-born peers to imagine a more welcoming world where new friendships can truly take root.

They are joined on stage by acclaimed actor Ellen Lauren (SITI Company) as Samantha Smith, who in 1983 at the age of 10 wrote a letter to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov pleading for peace. Invited to visit the Soviet Union in response, she became famously known as “America’s Youngest Ambassador” and was interviewed by everyone from Ted Koppel to Johnny Carson. Smith tragically died in 1985 at the age of 13, but in SpaceBridge she is brought back to life as an adult who continues the dialogue she began as a child.

The title SpaceBridge refers to the “satellite-mediated citizens’ debates”, also known as “spacebridges,” between the U.S. and the USSR, which prompted unfiltered and uncensored conversations between ordinary people from both cultures during the Cold War.

Created by Irina Kruzhilina, this delightful, moving, one-of-a-kind piece of documentary theater centers the stories of children we seldom consider: Russian youth affected by the war in Ukraine. Supported by award-winning Broadway designers such as Peter Nigrini (Dear Even Hansen, Fela!) and Darron L West (Cult of Love, Jitney), SpaceBridge follows the true stories of these children’s efforts to integrate into American society where they often encounter suspicion, bullying, and a lack of empathy.

SpaceBridge was originally presented by La MaMa ETC in association with En Garde Arts and Visual Echo, as part of the Under the Radar Festival in NYC.