The play 'My Grandson Benjamin'

The play 'My Grandson Benjamin' is an amazingly poignant story focused on family relationships. The main character, Esfir, living with memories of the past, preserves the traditions and customs from her childhood. She is authoritative and used to making decisions for others, attempting to find a suitable bride for her son. Taking an important step, Esfir travels to her native Bobruisk and brings back a young beauty from a 'trusted' family. At first glance, everything seems to be going according to plan, but the intended creation of a new world based on old principles suddenly comes under threat. Esfir's son disagrees with the arranged marriage, and the brought bride turns out not to be who she was portrayed as. The plot of the play is built on the classic conflict between the 'fathers' and 'children', framed by a funny and touching story about maternal love, which can both create beauty and destroy the surrounding world. The play, written by Lyudmila Ulitskaya in the late 1980s, continues to remain relevant today, raising themes of generational relationships, racial issues, and the depth of the human soul, which invariably attracts the audience's interest. The play lasts 1 hour and 50 minutes and is performed without an intermission. Its premiere took place in July 2015, and since then, it has been successfully performed in various cities across Russia, spanning from Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg to the Far East. The play has toured twice in the USA and Canada, as well as having successful touring performances in Israel, the Baltic states, and Belarus. In September 2017, the play was recognized at the 'Amur Autumn' festival, receiving four awards for direction, best lead female role and supporting role, as well as a special jury prize.