Rasputin

"Rasputin" is a one-on-one spiritual encounter with the 19th-century Russian ascetic and mystic Grigori Rasputin, known for his controversial influence over Russia’s last Tsar and his royal family. Rasputin invites the visitors for tea—and sometimes vodka. He gives his guests a tarot reading from his unique deck, designed especially for this performance and based on the classic Rider-Waite Tarot. However, the cards are just an excuse to engage visitors in an open-yet-encoded discussion about the difficulty of distinguishing truth from lies and facts from conspiracy theories in the era of disinformation.

The encounter with Rasputin takes us back in time, to the Tasr’s royal court and its political intrigue, but the discussion that takes place there is centered on the here and now: from the war in Ukraine to the climate crisis. His charismatic and enigmatic persona serves as a test case for the distinction between truth and lies, fact and fiction, encouraging us to reflect on these topics. Today, the name Rasputin draws fire in any situation, but was he truly so sinister? Did he deserve his demonic reputation? Or perhaps it was all a PR stunt intended to tarnish the reputation of a spiritual man and gifted medium and healer whose influence over the Tsar's family had unsettled some powerful people? Is it possible that those people had killed Rasputin and proceeded to rewrite history? After you meet him, you can decide for yourself.