The world premiere of the theatrical project “INOSTRANKA” will take place in Germany — a contemporary stage interpretation of Sergei Dovlatov’s novella “The Foreigner”. The leading role is performed by actress Masha Mashkova. The production is directed by Maxim Didenko, one of the most prominent figures in contemporary theatre.
“INOSTRANKA” is contemporary theatre about a person at a turning point. About choice, loss, hope, and the ability to maintain irony even when the familiar world collapses. The production addresses audiences from different countries and cultures, turning a personal story into a universal one.
What makes a person leave their home: politics, circumstances, an inner crisis, or a sudden feeling of alienation within their own life? The play “INOSTRANKA” searches for answers to these questions by combining the literary source with the personal story of the actress.
This is not only a stage adaptation of Dovlatov’s novella, but also an open conversation between Masha Mashkova and the audience — about life in emigration, attempts to build a career in Hollywood, Los Angeles, memory, family, and growing up. The production exists as a live dialogue without a fourth wall — ironic, honest, emotional, and therapeutic.
The project addresses emigration as a universal human experience. While in the 1980s emigration was perceived mainly as an everyday drama, today it is an existential choice and a leap into the unknown. Yet the essence remains unchanged: every person becomes a “foreigner” at least once in life — in a new country, a new profession, or even within their own destiny.
Maxim Didenko’s authorial method combines theatre, cinema, and multimedia, forming a contemporary stage language. Two parallel processes unfold within the production — theatrical and cinematic. Video is not an illustration but a full participant in the action, creating a multilayered artistic space.
The cinematic part of the project features:
Maxim Sukhanov, Varya Shmykova, Nikita Kukushkin, Nikola Ashurkov.
Playwright — Mikhail Durnenkov
Director — Maxim Didenko
Composer — Anna Drubich
Costume Designer — Tatiana Dolmatovskaya
Set Designer — Ksenia Peretrukhina
Lighting and Sound Design — Yuri Galkin
Multimedia — Oleg Mikhailov
Producers — Aleksandrina Markvo, Katerina Kashintseva, Masha Mashkova
Stage Manager — Ilya Kuznetsov
| Date: | 22.05.2026 |
| Time: | 19:30 |
| Venue: | Kurtheater |
| Address: | Louisenstraße 58, 61348 Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe |
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| All dates and venues | |
Stadthalle am Schloss
Schlossplatz 1, 63739 Aschaffenburg
Congress Centrum Würzburg
Pleichertorstr. 12, 97070 Würzburg
Kulturhaus Frankfurt
Pfingstweidstraße 2, 60316 Frankfurt am Main
Capitol Theater
Goethestraße 1-5, 63067 Offenbach
Kulturhaus Frankfurt
Pfingstweidstraße 2, 60316 Frankfurt am Main
Kongresshalle
Berliner Platz 2, 35390 Gießen
Stadttheater Idar-Oberstein
Wilhelmstrasse 22,, 55743 Idar Oberstein
Sindlingen Haus
Sindlinger Bahnstr. 124, 65931 Frankfurt am Main
Capitol Theater
Goethestraße 1-5, 63067 Offenbach
Sindlingen Haus
Sindlinger Bahnstr. 124, 65931 Frankfurt am Main
PUSH Comedy Club
Neue Mainzer Str. 24, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Kurtheater
Louisenstraße 58, 61348 Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe
Sindlingen Haus
Sindlinger Bahnstr. 124, 65931 Frankfurt am Main
Bürgerhaus Sindlingen
Sindlinger Bahnstr. 124, 65931 Frankfurt am Main
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Jahrhunderthalle
Pfaffenwiese 301, 65929 Frankfurt am Main
Jahrhunderthalle
Pfaffenwiese 301, 65929 Frankfurt am Main
Sindlingen Haus
Sindlinger Bahnstr. 124, 65931 Frankfurt am Main
Stadthalle
Waldstraße 312, 63071 Offenbach
Congress Centrum Würzburg
Pleichertorstr. 12, 97070 Würzburg