WHEN THE MESSAGE
OUTSHOUTS THE DRAMA

Keith Szarabajka’s timely war drama
is fueled by conviction but
overwhelmed by its own rhetoric

Jasmine Kimiko and James Morris in Slava Ukraini! (Or Waiting for Elon) at Atwater Village Theater

Slava Ukraini! (Or Waiting for Elon) by Keith Szarabajka presents a reviewer with the worst possible dilemma. Produced by Brad Bentz and directed by Tony Pasqualini, the work is the inaugural production of A Few Thoughts Theatre Company, premiering at the Atwater Village Theater.

James Morris, Christopher Reiling, Jasmine Kimiko

The play is set in a bunker beneath the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, during the 2022 siege as Russian forces sought to capture the strategic complex. Trapped under relentless bombardment are Vitaliy (James Morris), a young Jewish lieutenant in the Ukrainian Marines with an obsession for the works of J.R.R. Tolkien; Olha (Jasmine Kimiko), a sub-captain in the Azov Regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard, deeply scarred by her experiences at the hands of the invaders; and their prisoner, Yevgeny (Chris Reiling), a captured Russian soldier who continually tests his captors’ humanity.

James Morris, Jasmine Kimiko

Playwright Szarabajka structures his piece around Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, with billionaire—now trillionaire—Elon Musk assuming the role of the perpetually awaited savior.

Slava Ukraini! (“Glory to Ukraine!”) is an impassioned tribute to the Ukrainian people’s heroic struggle against the blatant and brutal aggression born of a despot demagogue’s grand delusions.

It is the type of play that makes you want to leap to your feet and roar your approval.

Alas, regrettably, glumly, and sorrowfully, you can’t.

Jasmine Kimiko, Christopher Reiling, James Morris

Szarabajka has burdened his play with so much historical exposition that it smothers any hope of genuine dramatic engagement. History lessons rarely make compelling theatre, and the playwright’s quill cannot scribe successfully when dipped solely in good intentions.

Nor can polemics replace dialogue. They reduce both Kimiko and Reiling to little more than sandwich boards who strut about the stage with competing viewpoints, limiting their ability to become fully realized characters. Morris, through sheer grit and commitment, nevertheless manages to carve out several memorable moments.

Jasmine Kimiko, James Morris

It pains me to greet the arrival of a promising new theatre company on such a disappointing note. Even so, A Few Thoughts Theatre Company has earned my hopes for a successful future.

As for Slava Ukraini!, I offer it my heartfelt “Heroyam Slava!” (“Glory to the heroes!”).

Christopher Reiling, James Morris

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photos by Deverill Weeks

Slava Ukraini! (or Waiting for Elon)
A Few Thoughts Theatre Company
Atwater Village Theater #3, 3269 Casitas Ave. in Los Angeles
Fri., Sat., Mon. 8; Sun. 3 (no performances Aug. 16 & 17)
ends on August 31, 2026
80 minutes, no intermission
for tickets ($20–$40, visit A Few Thoughts Theatre Company

for more shows, visit Theatre in LA

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