As discussed in the previous article, a lot has happened since the last premiere for Urban Theater. It has established itself as a registered and recognized non-profit organization and even arranged two guest performances with its first play, The Red Folder. The repertoire is growing, and the crown's new jewel is Richter’s Fairytale. So what is it all about? Richter’s Fairytale tells the story of a renowned piano player, Sviatoslav Richter. Richter’s lifetime spans almost the entire 20th century, from 1915 to 1997. An ethnic German born in Ukraine, Richter accomplished something almost inconceivable. Not only did he escape the purges of the Stalin era, but he also became a recognized professional piano player despite his "dubious" ethnic heritage. Richter was even allowed to tour outside of the Soviet Union and gain world fame. There is only one thing that truly fascinated Richter in this life: music. The piano was the central point of his universe—not to say it was his entire universe. Richter successfully managed to focus on the music and effectively “not see” anything and everything that happened a step away from the piano—whether it was his family, his country, or the world in general. Once again, the team at Urban Theater managed to pull together an incredible piece of art full of food for thought on both project management and "life, the universe, and everything."

Let’s start with project management. I was particularly impressed by the creativity of the approach and the relentless conviction to make things work. Looking closer at it, I discovered one of the sources nurturing this: the power of the due date. Like any project, a theater project has a due date—no surprises so far. However, there is just a different level of commitment, responsibility, and communication when you see that due date on flyers, posters, online publicity, and tickets… You know there will be people in the audience, and you will have to show them something. At the same time, your goal with a theater performance is to make the audience believe what is happening on the stage. This starts with making the participants believe in what they are doing.

This stark realization of the looming due date helps you find answers and solutions to all kinds of problems. These problems include such conundrums as “50% of our actors (or one of the two, but the one who plays approximately 10 different roles and changes himself for them at the speed of light) will not be able to be here for the show in 10 days.” I never cease to be amazed by the intensity with which solutions are sought after in theater productions. There are no ifs, no buts, only further iterations, attempts, and an unshakable conviction: “if our plan A does not work out, the alphabet still has 25 letters to go!”

Ironically enough, the due date theme is one of the very strong messages Richter’s Fairytale brings to the foreground. I find it hugely relevant in the current context. The mantra Richter keeps repeating in a futile attempt to find an excuse for not noticing outside of his tiny little world, even to the members of his own family, is “I never cared about politics.” With Richter’s personal “due date” approaching, the mantra starts noticeably losing its magic. The spell keeping his tiny world intact and separated from the rest of the universe is broken, and the power of the due date takes over. An abyss opens between “not seeing” and “pretending not to see.” This is not political theater, yet it shows a very concrete example that it is only to a certain extent that you can factor out global and political events. Moreover, the price you will have to pay will be delayed but not diminished. On the contrary, the debt will accumulate, and you can push the due date only so far.

This “due date” message is an excellent reminder of several things. First, we all are mirrors to a much broader and larger context than we sometimes like to think, and our activity or non-activity plays a role. (In the context of our reality in Europe, this can be translated into “go to the elections every time there are some.”) Secondly, keeping your eyes forcefully shut will tire the muscles. Finally, and most importantly: neither your inability to change the situation at the moment nor your exceptional talent or vocation can serve as a valid excuse to auto-disintegrate and withdraw yourself from moral judgment. Not being willing to tell right from wrong when you cannot change the situation becomes a habit. However, situations themselves change. No matter how dark the times are, they have their “due date.” When tables shift, opportunities open. You might become empowered to be part of a change or even to drive it. Your only task is not to forget how to do so. Seen from this perspective, the due date not only has power over you but can be a formidable source of power for all kinds of endeavors, projects, and initiatives. Most crucially, it can be a source of hope.