Playing the Victim

Synopsis

A series of darkly comic vignettes explore the blurred lines between reality, performance, and criminality in post-Soviet Russia.

“Playing the Victim” by Oleg and Vladimir Presnyakov is a satirical examination of moral decay and societal confusion in contemporary Russia. The play centers around Valya, a disillusioned young man who works for the police, reenacting crime scenes as various victims. As Valya moves through a series of increasingly absurd situations, the line between reality and performance becomes disturbingly blurred.

The Presnyakov brothers employ a fragmented, non-linear structure to create a disorienting portrait of a society struggling to find meaning and order in a rapidly changing world. Through interconnected scenes ranging from police investigations to restaurant conversations, the play explores themes of alienation, corruption, and the malleability of truth. Dark humor permeates the work, highlighting the absurdity of bureaucratic systems and the ways individuals attempt to navigate them.

By focusing on characters who constantly shift between roles – victims, perpetrators, witnesses – the play raises questions about personal responsibility and the nature of justice in a morally ambiguous landscape. “Playing the Victim” offers a biting critique of post-Soviet society while examining the universal human desire to find purpose and connection in an often chaotic world.