Designing Through Change: Misha Kachman on “Mother Russia” and a City in Transition
An interview with the designer of a world premiere at Seattle Rep, murder is calling at Village Theatre, and ACT Theatre will hold a career day for young actors.
Seattle Rep sat down with Misha Kachman, who was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, to explore how his designs for this show draw on his personal experience.
Seattle Rep: What was it like living in St. Petersburg during the transition from Communism to capitalism?
Misha Kachman: I was in my late teens and early twenties. It was very interesting, but also at times scary, disorienting, amusing, baffling, exciting, and terrifying. It was never boring. Money was always scarce, and I would have said that we lived paycheck to paycheck except for the fact that we didn’t have bank accounts. Russia was basically a cash economy until around 1999–2000, by which time my family and I had already left. The thing is, we really didn’t know how truly poor we were until the economic reforms began.
I grew up in the 1970s in a single room in a communal flat, a room I shared with my parents, my twin brother, and a baby grand piano, but I didn’t feel particularly poor when I was a child. The sudden abundance of largely unaffordable consumer choices was disorienting and, for many, quite baffling. For instance, at some point in the early nineties, the TV would run a relentless stream of commercials for Head & Shoulders shampoo. Who, before the fall of Communism, knew that dandruff was such a massive problem?
There was very little predictability and security of any sort, but there was freedom, and there was hope.
On the Stage
This week, murder is calling, magic fills McCaw Hall, two theatres bring you a love story, and spring comes to the Symphony.
Dial M for Murder
Theatre | Village Theatre Everett
Now – March 23 | Tickets
Tony married his wife for her money, and now he plans to murder her for it. But when his perfect plans go awry, he has to improvise — and now his wife’s former lover Maxine and a wily inspector from Scotland Yard must race against the clock to unravel his schemes.
More Events
- The Magic Flute | Seattle Opera | Now – March 9 | View the Program
- The Last Five Years | 5th Avenue Theatre & ACT Theatre | Now – March 16 | View the Program
- The Hula Hoopin’ Queen | Seattle Children’s Theatre | Now – March 23 | View the Program
- Stravinsky Rite of Spring | Seattle Symphony | March 13–15
Next Line
ACT Theatre is calling all aspiring young theatre artists. Plus, catch a trailer of an upcoming show from Ahamefule J. Olu.
- ACT Contemporary Theatre’s Career Day invites young artists ages 14–22 to explore careers in the theatre industry through panel discussions and networking opportunities. Attendees can connect with theatre professionals, meet representatives from local organizations, and even receive a free headshot from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Produced by ACT’s Young Core Company, this free event will take place on March 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Bullitt Cabaret.
- Tickets are now on sale for The Things Around Us, the latest work from acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Ahamefule J. Oluo, running April 24–May 4 at Broadway Performance Hall. The third in a trilogy following NOW I’M FINE and SUSAN, this solo performance blends looping technology, live instrumentation, and personal storytelling for a uniquely immersive experience. Get a glimpse of the show in this video preview before Oluo’s highly anticipated return to Seattle.
