“We want to support this project. Not only during the seminar but beyond it,” — this is how, after the Aspen Institute Kyiv seminar, alumni supported the idea of their groupmate
What does it take to turn an idea into reality? Inspiration, the right environment, and interaction. That is how the play “Something Strange Happened to Me” came to life — a theatrical project by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk that received support from Aspen Institute Kyiv alumni. What started as a discussion during the seminar turned into sold-out performances in Lviv.
Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk is an alumnus of the Responsible Leadership Seminar — 27 and a director known for the film Pamphire. Recently, Dmytro has also focused on theatre. His debut play “Something Strange Happened to Me,” staged at the Maria Zankovetska Theatre, tells a story about memory and the burden of historical trauma — something we either carry or transform.
But for the play to happen, he needed an idea and inspiration. Action and support were essential. In this case, they came from groupmates from the Aspen seminar.
During the seminar, in addition to engaging in dialogues on eternal and pressing issues, participants work on projects they would like to bring to life or are already implementing. Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk presented the idea of the play and shared its theme.
Dmytro’s groupmates decided to support the production — both financially and organizationally. Among those who joined the project were Ruslan Shostak, Valeriy Gorban, Maksym Diadyk, and Olena Vovk. Serhiy Zhyla also supported theplay. Rimma Ziubina, an alumna of the “Responsible Leadership” seminar, performed the lead role.
“When I talked about my project (at that time, the play’s production was already actively underway), the hall fell completely silent. Some even cried. And a few people from other project groups expressed their desire to join the initiative and work together. The next day, my groupmates said they would support the play during the seminar and beyond,” Dmytro shared.
In his play, Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk aims for the audience not just to follow the storyline but to experience it as a personal journey. The director shifts the focus to each viewer’s inner world, prompting a confrontation with questions that often remain outside the conversation space. It is a journey through the complex paths of individual and national memory, where subconscious experiences take the form of conscious reflection.
The production has already drawn full houses in Lviv. Next up, as Dmytro notes, are touring plans.
“The seminar came at just the right time for me. It’s a launchpad for building bridges. Friends who had attended Aspen Institute Kyiv seminars often said their group was the best. I say the same about mine. And in our case, it truly happened that way — because there’s a tangible result,” says Dmytro.
The seminar is a space where meaningful and engaging ideas are not only discussed — they are implemented. We are sincerely pleased that this story confirms it: successful actions are born in dialogue.
