On November 1, 2025, at the Plast Huculak Centre in Toronto, actress and director Oksana Smilska presented the Canadian premiere of “Fish Don’t Cry” (“Риби не плачуть”) by Olena Petrovska — a profoundly moving and courageous story.
The play follows Marta, an actress who continues performing in the ruins of the Mariupol Drama Theatre — a haunting reflection of the real-life tragedy that claimed hundreds of innocent lives, including children, in 2022. Through Marta’s eyes, the audience witnesses the unbearable loss of a city, its people, and its cultural soul.
Oksana Smilska, who both directed and starred in the production, expressed heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved: the Ukrainian-Canadian Shevchenko Foundation and the Ontario Theatre Project for their support; her stage partner Yuriy Nakonechny, whose silent performance “spoke better than all the words in the world”; and the creative team who brought the story’s emotion to life through light and sound.
This performance was not only an artistic achievement — it was an act of remembrance. Like the ДЕ ТИ Project, “Fish Don’t Cry” gives voice to those silenced by war. It draws attention to the suffering of Ukraine’s most vulnerable — children and families torn apart by violence — and reminds us that even amidst destruction, culture, art, and truth continue to speak powerfully to the world.
Photos © 2025 Danylo Glyntchak, Theresa Smilsky
