Zabel in Exile

ZABEL IN EXILE by R.N. Sandberg Directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian February 19–March 8, 2026 at Boston Playwrights' Theatre Yerevan, 1937. Armenian writer and activist Zabel Yessayan sits in a Soviet prison cell, awaiting execution. But what exactly is her crime? Writing novels? Knowing how to speak French? Being a woman? As Zabel confronts her captors, past and present blur, and she reckons with the injustices she has witnessed and confronted—from schoolyard bullying to the horrors of genocide. ZABEL IN EXILE is a searing memory play that honors the strength of a woman unafraid to stand up to tyranny and wrestles with whether it is possible to continue to believe in light during times of endless darkness. Production sponsors: Judith Saryan and Victor Zarougian Content transparency: The play includes descriptions of violence, including the atrocities of genocide. It does not include any such violence depicted onstage. Single tickets: Adults—$40; BU Faculty/Staff—$25; Seniors-62+—$25; Students with valid ID—$15; Student rush—$0 (At the Box Office, day-of-performance only). Pay-What-You-Want Previews—Thursday, February 19 (7 p.m.) and Friday, February 20 (8 p.m.)