Olena Bilyak is known for her enthusiasm and dedication to Ukrainian culture. She is a philologist by education. Olena arrived in the United States from her native Lviv almost three decades ago. Her journey of relocation began during the Gorbachev-era emigration, when many Ukrainians sought new opportunities in the West. Olena and her family settled in San Francisco, one of the most expensive yet atmospheric cities on the planet. Despite the challenges of adapting to a new life in a foreign country, she not only preserved but also enriched her cultural roots, transforming her experience into a benefit for the community.
In Ukraine, Olena worked as a teacher, combining her pedagogical activities with organizing a theater discussion club for students. She began teaching while still a fifth-year university student, with her first graduating class only four years younger than herself. In this club, she discovered the world of theater for herself and her students, organizing performances and discussions. Theater became not just a hobby but a true calling, which later found its reflection in her American life.
In California, Olena continued working with children and teenagers, sharing her love for theater arts with them. She offered the children the chance to engage in theater and stage performances, seeing it as an opportunity not only to teach them stagecraft but also to preserve Ukrainian traditions, culture, and language in the diaspora. However, the desire to create something more than children’s performances always lived in her heart.
Last year, fate once again brought Olena back to theater, this time through social media. A chance message from Ukrainian playwright Elena Petrovska, who resides in Germany, marked the beginning of a great journey. Ms. Petrovska suggested that Olena read her play “Fish Don’t Cry,” dedicated to the tragedy of the Mariupol theater and the fate of its actress. The impression from the reading was so powerful that Olena could not remain indifferent and decided to stage the play, despite having no experience working with adult actors.
“It was a shock. It is an incredible play about Mariupol, about an actress from the destroyed theater. Extremely emotional,” Olena Bilyak recalls her first impressions of reading the work. She even recounts how she cried while reading the play and doubted whether she could stage it. However, the play’s author, who had been following Olena and her activities, was confident in her abilities and inspired her to take this step.
Olena found a talented actress, Lana Shcherbakova, a professional actress from Odesa who had moved to the United States several years ago. Together, they began working on the production. Although the actress was from Odesa, she spoke Ukrainian well, which became an important factor when the idea arose to present the play in two languages. After receiving the Ukrainian translation, Olena and her team decided to perform the play in both Ukrainian and Russian to reach as wide of audience as possible.
The play “Fish Don’t Cry” became Olena Bilyak’s first major work with adult actors. Its premiere took place in a small Russian-speaking amateur theater “You” in San Mateo. The 70-seat hall was packed. People came to the performance from all corners of the city, as well as from neighboring areas. This unexpected success was a true revelation for Olena, who realized that Ukrainian theater in California has enormous potential and can find its audience.
“We were nervous, sitting in the dressing room, unable to believe that so many people had come to see our play. No one knew us, but people believed in us, and we had a sold-out show,” Olena recalls that evening. This success inspired her to take further action.
Olena decided to officially register a Ukrainian theater under the name “Wandering Stars.” The name was inspired by Sholem Aleichem’s novel, where the idea became a symbol for the new Ukrainian theater, which also had to “wander” without a permanent stage, finding refuge in various theatrical spaces in California.
Olena’s work did not stop there. She continues to search for material for new performances and finds support among the local Ukrainian community. Ms. Olena recalls how, through social media, she managed to gather a group of volunteers and actors ready to help with the organization and staging of performances. Among these people, seeking their place in the world of theater, were both professional actors and amateurs with little experience but a great desire to work.
Currently, the “Wandering Stars” theater is preparing for its first major performance ‒ a lecture-presentation about the outstanding Ukrainian director Les Kurbas, one of the most significant figures in Ukrainian theater art. Olena has chosen three scenes from Kurbas’ most famous plays by Kulish for this presentation: “Myna Mazailo,” “Maklena Grasa,” and “The People’s Malakhiy.” She aims not only to present these works but also to reveal their deep meaning, showing how Kurbas’ ideas influenced the development of Ukrainian theater.
“Les Kurbas is an incredibly important figure for both Ukrainian and European theater. He should be known not only in Ukraine but also worldwide,” Olena asserts. She wants the Ukrainian diaspora in California to know and understand the immense contribution Kurbas made to the development of theatrical art and to pass on the Ukrainian cultural heritage through these performances.
It is important to note that all the funds raised from ticket sales for “Wandering Stars” performances are directed to support Ukraine. During the war, every dollar raised from cultural events goes to support various funds that help those affected by the war. Olena shares that all the funds from the play “Fish Don’t Cry” were donated to three different volunteer foundations in Ukraine.
“Everything we do must be aimed at victory. Otherwise, it is very sad ‒ to do something without a purpose. Now everything must be focused on helping Ukraine,” Olena emphasizes, underscoring the importance of assisting the most vulnerable segments of the population, primarily orphans. To this end, the premiere performance “Les Kurbas. The Clever Harlequin” by “Wandering Stars” will be shown to audiences in San Francisco and the Bay Area, with the proceeds going to benefit the non-profit organization “Hromada” and its “Anhelyk” foundation. This organization has been providing assistance to orphans in Ukraine for seven years, paying for medical equipment and funding various educational programs.
The “Wandering Stars” theater has ambitious plans for the future, so we wish them a successful premiere and the realization of all their plans on numerous stages across America!
