Overview

Based on an absurd but true story, this poignant and sometimes hilarious tale is about a Russian soldier who deserted during World War II and spent ten years hiding in his pigsty. As the play begins, Pavel Ivanovitch is preparing to rejoin the world and throw himself on the mercy of his countrymen, but his wife has used his old uniform for rags and he refuses to wear the suit she has pressed. Instead, she goes alone to the ceremony to unveil a monument to the war dead and returns reporting that the townspeople wept at the mention of him and his martyr's death fighting fascism. Also, a local bigwig proposed to her now that she is officially a widow. What should she do? Will Pavel Ivanovitch ever be able to leave the pigsty, or is it his only safe haven?