conceived and directed by Igor Golyak

Spring Dates Announced Soon | Limited Space | Book Early

Tickets are free; Donations encouraged

The latest workshop from our Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab fuses film, theater, and video game technology to experiment in a new medium where viewers interact with the performers. Adapted from Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard and drawing from recordings of Chekhov’s letters and dreams, this interactive online theater experience accesses the operating system behind both Chekhov’s computer and the world in which his characters live, searching for happiness.

This is a work-in-progress created during the pandemic, a way for artists to work through the themes of the play, the encroaching virus, and a moment of change in the world around us. The project was developed in the new and emerging genre of virtual theater at Arlekin’s zero-G lab from a small but mighty international group of collaborators, helmed by Igor Golyak, and constituting Phase One of a larger hybrid Cherry OS project in development for 2022.

Featuring Jessica Hecht with Anna Baryshnikov, Darya Denisova, Jeffrey Hayenga, Melanie Moore, 
Nael Nacer, Mark Nelson, and special guest Mikhail Baryshnikov

• TWI-NY Pandemic Awards Best Streaming Historical Drama
• Best Theater of 2021 Lists – Jewish Journal, South End News
• Boston Globe Critics Pick – 3 Weeks Running

Click on three dots above and select FULL SCREEN. Use your left/right arrow keys to scroll through the pages.

ARTISTIC TEAM

CHERRY OS /an experiment/

Based on The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
Conceived & Directed by Igor Golyak
Produced by Igor Golyak & Sara Stackhouse (remove BroadBand)
Featuring Jessica Hecht as Ranevskaya and Mikhail Baryshnikov as Anton Chekhov

Virtual Performance Technical Director: Vladimir Gusev
Game Engine & Interaction Design: Will Brierly, Snowrunner Productions
Live Production Technicians: Anton Nikolaev and Igor Golyak
Virtual Set & Environment Designer: Anna Fedorova 
Web developer:  Anatoly Krivonos
Composer: Jakov Jakoulov
Assistant Director: Blair Cadden
Properties Assistant: Irina Vilenchik
Platform: The Soft Layer by Snowrunner Productions

CAST

And Mikhail Baryshnikov as Anton Chekhov

FILM CREW

Director of Photography: Guillermo Cameo
Associate Producer: Joshua A. Friedman
2nd Camera / Editor: Anton Nikolaev
Sound: Sebastian Holst
Gaffer: Sashank Sana
Assistant Editor: Anna Gruman
Production Assistant: Violet de Besche

For Immediate Release

February 16, 2021

Baryshnikov Arts Center and Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation Co-Present
Arlekin Players Theatre’s
The Cherry Orchard: A New Media Workshop
An Interactive Online Theater Experience Starring Jessica Hecht with Anna Baryshnikov, Darya Denisova, Jeffrey Hayenga, Melanie Moore, Nael Nacer, Mark Nelson, and special guest Mikhail Baryshnikov

February 26, 2021 at 8PM – Special Event

Publicity Images

FEBRUARY 16, 2021 – New York, NY – Baryshnikov Arts Center and Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation co-present an interactive new media experiment, adapted from Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, created by Boston’s award-winning Arlekin Players Theatre and their newly-established Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Performance Lab. The Cherry Orchard: A New Media Workshop will debut online Friday, February 26, 2021 at 8PM ET as part of Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC)’s Digital Spring 2021 Season. Registration for this free event is required at BACNYC.ORG. This presentation is not open for review.

The Cherry Orchard: A New Media Workshop is an experiment in development by Arlekin Players Theatre’s founder and director Igor Golyak, who has been a leading innovator of virtual theater since the start of the pandemic. His recent State vs. Natasha Banina was a Critic’s Pick in The New York Times by Maya Phillips who declared “The verdict is in: Zoom can, in fact, be an effective new stage for theater.” Golyak’s latest work fuses film, theater, and video game technology to create a new medium where viewers are able to interact with the performers. Drawing from the original text of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, scenes from the play, and recordings of Chekhov’s letters and dreams, the online event accesses Chekhov’s desktop computer, where viewers discover six of his classic characters living in a virtual space, searching for happiness.

The cast comprises a cadre of well-known stage, television, and film actors including Tony-Nominee Jessica Hecht, who performs the iconic role of Ranevskaya. Hecht says, “I have been longing to explore The Cherry Orchard with Igor and our company in a way that gives us the most intimate and relatable portrait of a family in crisis. I believe we can create something raw and modern, without losing an authenticity to Chekhov’s vision.”

The presentation also features other celebrated performers, including Anna Baryshnikov (Apple TV+’s Dickinson) as Varya; Arlekin’s Darya Denisova as Natasha Prozorov; Jeffrey Hayenga (The Elephant Man) as Fiers; Melanie Moore (Finding Neverland, So You Think You Can Dance) as Anya; Mark Nelson (Angels in America, The Invention of Love) as Gaev; and acclaimed Boston-based actor Nael Nacer as Lopakhin. BAC’s Founder and Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov makes a special appearance in the role of Anton Chekhov. The work was developed and filmed, in part, at BAC in January with strict adherence to COVID health and safety protocols.

This project is the first phase of a larger New Media Cherry Orchard Project that Arlekin plans to develop into a hybrid production featuring new media, online, and live elements, with aspirations for a New York run in the 2021-22 season. “The Post-pandemic theater has to reexamine and reimagine itself. Through this experiment we are finding out how humankind can find each other in the virtual while continuing to treasure the in-person encounter, which makes for a new kind of site-specific theater,” says Golyak. “And I find myself in constant dialogue with The Cherry Orchard—during a time of loss and recovery, it helps us explore connection, transition, loss, and the human yearning for happiness.”

An international team of designers, new software usage, and technical engineers has collaborated with Golyak both virtually and onsite in Arlekin’s new Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Performance Lab in Needham, MA for several months to create the functionality and online environment for this project, which includes software support from Aximmetry Technologies Ltd., the official software provider for Arlekin’s Zero Gravity Lab; a new platform called “The Soft Layer” from Will Brierly of Snowrunner Productions; and back-end/design work from Vladimir Gusev, Anna Fedorova, and Anton Nikolaev.

The Cherry Orchard: A New Media Workshop marks the second collaboration for Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation and Baryshnikov Arts Center, who co-presented Arlekin’s State vs. Natasha Banina during BAC’s Digital Fall 2020 Season. The evening offers an immersive experience as Arlekin shares their new proof of concept, followed by a live talkback with members of the cast and creative team.

The Cherry Orchard: A New Media Workshop, co-presented by Baryshnikov Arts Center and Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation, is made possible with generous additional support from ArtsEmerson, Fooksman Family Foundation, ZiphyCare, BroadBand Collaborative, Meghan Coleman, Robin Hanley, and Aximmetry Technologies Ltd., the official software provider for Arlekin’s Zero Gravity Lab.

FULL PROGRAM CREDITS

The Baryshnikov Arts Center & Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation Co-present
Arlekin Players Theatre
The Cherry Orchard: A New Media Workshop
Adapted from The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
Conceived and Directed by Igor Golyak
Produced by Igor Golyak, Arlekin Players and Sara Stackhouse, BroadBand Collaborative
Virtual Performance Technical Director: Vladimir Gusev
Game Engine & Interaction Design: Will Brierly, Snowrunner Productions
Live Production Technicians: Anton Nikolaev and Igor Golyak
Virtual Set & Environment Designer: Anna Fedorova
Web Developer: Anatoly Krivonos
Composer: Jakov Jakoulov
Assistant Director: Blair Cadden
Properties Assistant: Irina Vilenchik
Platform: The Soft Layer by Snowrunner Productions

Director of Photography: Guillermo Cameo
Associate Producer: Joshua A. Friedman
2nd Camera and Editor: Anton Nikolaev
Sound: Sebastian Holst
Gaffer: Sashank Sana
Assistant Editor: Anna Gruman
Production Assistant: Violet de Besche

Cast
Ranevskaya    Jessica Hecht
Gaev               Mark Nelson
Varya              Anna Baryshnikov
Anya               Melanie Moore
Lopakhin         Nael Nacer
Fiers                Jeffrey Hayenga
Natasha Prozorov   Darya Denisova

And Mikhail Baryshnikov as Anton Chekhov

Arlekin Players Theatre, founded by Artistic Director Igor Golyak, was created in Boston in 2009 and has since toured to New York, Chicago, and Hartford, as well as to international festivals in Russia, Armenia, Ukraine, and Monaco. It’s production of State vs Natasha Banina has received world-wide acclaim, including the New York Times Critics’ Pick. Arlekin has received multiple awards for its work including four 2020 Elliot Norton Awards from the Boston Theater Critics Association for its recent productions of The Stone and The Seagull. Arlekin takes strong pride in their emphasis on self-identity; they are a company of immigrants performing works that play on the ideas of cross-culture, home, and traditions, challenging the idea of nationality, and finding common themes that unite us all. In 2020, Arlekin launched it’s Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab to explore new theater possibilities for a new time. The company makes its home in Needham, MA. For more information, visit www.arlekinplayers.com.

Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) is the realization of a long-held vision by artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov who sought to build an arts center in Manhattan that would serve as a gathering place for artists from all disciplines. BAC’s opening in 2005 heralded the launch of this mission, establishing a thriving creative laboratory and performance space for artists from around the world. BAC’s activities encompass a robust residency program augmented by a range of professional services, including commissions of new work, as well as the presentation of performances by artists at varying stages of their careers. In tandem with its commitment to supporting artists, BAC is dedicated to building audiences for the arts by presenting contemporary, innovative work at affordable ticket prices. For more information visit bacnyc.org.

Cherry Orchard Festival (CherryOrchardFestival.org), a registered 501c) (3) arts organization, is a leading independent international arts organization with a solid reputation for presenting musical performances, theatrical productions, multidisciplinary performing and visual arts attractions by a stunning array of global artists to audiences in the US. Founded by executive producer Maria Shclover and artistic director Irina Shabshis in 2012, the festival has presented over 60 unique world class events, concerts, and theatrical performances to over 150,000 audience members across the US. The presentation of “Cherry Orchard” at the Baryshnikov Arts Center will be the second collaboration between the Festival and Arlekin Theatre, after the successful online run of The State Vs. Natasha Banina in 2020. The ongoing mission of the Cherry Orchard Festival is to introduce and promote global cultural activity and exchange of ideas, aiming to enlighten and engage audiences through educational entertainment programs and events. For more information about the festival, please visit cherryorchardfestival.org.

Baryshnikov Arts Center Press Contact: Kristen Miles, kmiles@bacnyc.org, 646-285-7694

###

Jaffa Festival and Cherry Orchard Festival present:

AN ONLINE INTERACTIVE LIVE PERFORMANCE

State vs. Natasha Banina

“A CAPTIVATING THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE!”

December 3 & 4 in Russian and Dec 6 in English

• Produced by: Igor Golyak and Sara Stackhouse
• Co-Presented by: Jaffa Festival, Gesher Theatre, and Cherry Orchard Festival

WARNING! THIS IS A LIVE INTERACTIVE ART EXPERIENCE

She makes her case; the audience decides her fate. This is State vs. Natasha Banina.

Performed live by Darya Denisova (2020 Elliot Norton Award-winner for Outstanding Actress), State vs. Natasha Banina unfolds as a Russian teenager tells the story of her life in a small-town orphanage, and how her desire to be free led to a crime of passion. From the inside of a “Zoom court room,” she makes unique appeals to the audience/jury, letting them into her world where she dreams of love, family, and her future. Is Natasha guilty of manslaughter? You, the audience, will decide.

Based on Natasha’s Dream by the Russian playwright Yaroslava Pulinovich, this New York Times Critic’s Pick is a brilliant example of how live theatre can break boundaries and shock viewers even when experienced at home on a laptop. This particular event is reserved for students and educators only. You must register with a school-affiliated (.edu) email address.

Meet our Artistic Team!

• Based on Natasha’s Dream by Yaroslava Pulinovich
• Performer: Darya Denisova
• Translator: John Freedman
• Director and Video Design: Igor Golyak
• Production Associate: Marianna Golyak
• Animator: Anton Iakhontov
• Music Composor: Vadim Khrapatchev
• Produced by Igor Golyak & Sara Stackhouse

—–

Darya Denisova (Natasha Banina) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actress for Arlekin’s The Stone. She has performed as the lead actress in various Arlekin Players’ productions, including “Memorial Prayer” in 2014, “Natasha’s Dream” in 2015, “Tales of the Last Wednesday” in 2016, “Dead Man’s Diary” in 2017, “МЫ-US” in 2018, “The Stone” in 2019 and “The Seagull” in 2019. She has also traveled to several international theatre festivals to perform with Arlekin Players Theatre, including the United SOLO festival, off Broadway, New York; SOLO Festival in Moscow, Russia; HighFest theatre festival, Yerevan, Armenia with her award-winning solo performance “Natasha’s Dream.” Darya has been recognized by Boston critics and leading reviewers for her roles at Arlekin Players. She studied acting at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow, graduating in 2016. After she received her degree, she moved back to Boston to continue performing in Boston with Arlekin Players Theatre, which she joined in 2013. She has taught documentary theatre at the Startalk School at Harvard University and the Stanislavsky method at the Igor Golyak acting studio.

Igor Golyak (Director, Artistic Director) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for Arlekin’s The Stone and was also nominated in the same year for his direction of Arlekin’s The Seagull. He is an Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory, and has spent over a decade teaching the art of theatre. He is the founder of the Igor Golyak Acting Studio and Artistic Director of Arlekin Players Theatre which has won numerous awards in the United States and internationally and most recently an Elliot Norton award for his production of Dead Man’s Diary at Arts Emerson. Arlekin Players Theatre is a multicultural, multi-national collaborative that is growing year to year in the number of audience members, company actors, and volunteers. His theatre has been invited to perform on famous stages and at world-renowned festivals all over the world, including Moscow Art Theatre, and festivals in Yerevan, Armenia, New York City, Chicago, Lviv, Ukraine, Monaco, and many others.

“…A captivating theatrical experience! – Maya Phillips

See the full review at The New York Times

“…Exciting! A really clever production! A gripping performance! – Jared Bowen

Hear the full review at WGBH

“…visionary!” – Nancy Grossman

See the full review at broadwayworld.com

“…brilliant portrayal!” – Don Aucoin

See the full review at The Boston Globe

“…boldly creative!” – Ed Siegel

See the full review at WBUR

ShowOne Productions and Cherry Orchard Festival present:

AN ONLINE INTERACTIVE LIVE PERFORMANCE

State vs. Natasha Banina

“A CAPTIVATING THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE!”

October 29 in English
November 29 in Russian (with English Subtitles)

• Produced by: Igor Golyak and Sara Stackhouse
• Co-Presented by: ShowOne Productions and Cherry Orchard Festival

WARNING! THIS IS A LIVE INTERACTIVE ART EXPERIENCE

She makes her case; the audience decides her fate. This is State vs. Natasha Banina.

Performed live by Darya Denisova (2020 Elliot Norton Award-winner for Outstanding Actress), State vs. Natasha Banina unfolds as a Russian teenager tells the story of her life in a small-town orphanage, and how her desire to be free led to a crime of passion. From the inside of a “Zoom court room,” she makes unique appeals to the audience/jury, letting them into her world where she dreams of love, family, and her future. Is Natasha guilty of manslaughter? You, the audience, will decide.

Based on Natasha’s Dream by the Russian playwright Yaroslava Pulinovich, this New York Times Critic’s Pick is a brilliant example of how live theatre can break boundaries and shock viewers even when experienced at home on a laptop. This particular event is reserved for students and educators only. You must register with a school-affiliated (.edu) email address.

Meet our Artistic Team!

• Based on Natasha’s Dream by Yaroslava Pulinovich
• Performer: Darya Denisova
• Translator: John Freedman
• Director and Video Design: Igor Golyak
• Production Associate: Marianna Golyak
• Animator: Anton Iakhontov
• Music Composor: Vadim Khrapatchev
• Produced by Igor Golyak & Sara Stackhouse

—–

Darya Denisova (Natasha Banina) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actress for Arlekin’s The Stone. She has performed as the lead actress in various Arlekin Players’ productions, including “Memorial Prayer” in 2014, “Natasha’s Dream” in 2015, “Tales of the Last Wednesday” in 2016, “Dead Man’s Diary” in 2017, “МЫ-US” in 2018, “The Stone” in 2019 and “The Seagull” in 2019. She has also traveled to several international theatre festivals to perform with Arlekin Players Theatre, including the United SOLO festival, off Broadway, New York; SOLO Festival in Moscow, Russia; HighFest theatre festival, Yerevan, Armenia with her award-winning solo performance “Natasha’s Dream.” Darya has been recognized by Boston critics and leading reviewers for her roles at Arlekin Players. She studied acting at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow, graduating in 2016. After she received her degree, she moved back to Boston to continue performing in Boston with Arlekin Players Theatre, which she joined in 2013. She has taught documentary theatre at the Startalk School at Harvard University and the Stanislavsky method at the Igor Golyak acting studio.

Igor Golyak (Director, Artistic Director) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for Arlekin’s The Stone and was also nominated in the same year for his direction of Arlekin’s The Seagull. He is an Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory, and has spent over a decade teaching the art of theatre. He is the founder of the Igor Golyak Acting Studio and Artistic Director of Arlekin Players Theatre which has won numerous awards in the United States and internationally and most recently an Elliot Norton award for his production of Dead Man’s Diary at Arts Emerson. Arlekin Players Theatre is a multicultural, multi-national collaborative that is growing year to year in the number of audience members, company actors, and volunteers. His theatre has been invited to perform on famous stages and at world-renowned festivals all over the world, including Moscow Art Theatre, and festivals in Yerevan, Armenia, New York City, Chicago, Lviv, Ukraine, Monaco, and many others.

“…A captivating theatrical experience! – Maya Phillips

See the full review at The New York Times

“…Exciting! A really clever production! A gripping performance! – Jared Bowen

Hear the full review at WGBH

“…visionary!” – Nancy Grossman

See the full review at broadwayworld.com

“…brilliant portrayal!” – Don Aucoin

See the full review at The Boston Globe

“…boldly creative!” – Ed Siegel

See the full review at WBUR

Wilma Theatre and Cherry Orchard Festival present:

AN ONLINE INTERACTIVE LIVE PERFORMANCE

State vs. Natasha Banina

“A CAPTIVATING THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE!”

October 22 in English

• Produced by: Igor Golyak and Sara Stackhouse
• Co-Presented by: Wilma Theatre and Cherry Orchard Festival

Reserve Tickets Here!

WARNING! THIS IS A LIVE INTERACTIVE ART EXPERIENCE

She makes her case; the audience decides her fate. This is State vs. Natasha Banina.

Performed live by Darya Denisova (2020 Elliot Norton Award-winner for Outstanding Actress), State vs. Natasha Banina unfolds as a Russian teenager tells the story of her life in a small-town orphanage, and how her desire to be free led to a crime of passion. From the inside of a “Zoom court room,” she makes unique appeals to the audience/jury, letting them into her world where she dreams of love, family, and her future. Is Natasha guilty of manslaughter? You, the audience, will decide.

Based on Natasha’s Dream by the Russian playwright Yaroslava Pulinovich, this New York Times Critic’s Pick is a brilliant example of how live theatre can break boundaries and shock viewers even when experienced at home on a laptop. This particular event is reserved for students and educators only. You must register with a school-affiliated (.edu) email address.

Meet our Artistic Team!

• Based on Natasha’s Dream by Yaroslava Pulinovich
• Performer: Darya Denisova
• Translator: John Freedman
• Director and Video Design: Igor Golyak
• Production Associate: Marianna Golyak
• Animator: Anton Iakhontov
• Music Composor: Vadim Khrapatchev
• Produced by Igor Golyak & Sara Stackhouse

—–

Darya Denisova (Natasha Banina) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actress for Arlekin’s The Stone. She has performed as the lead actress in various Arlekin Players’ productions, including “Memorial Prayer” in 2014, “Natasha’s Dream” in 2015, “Tales of the Last Wednesday” in 2016, “Dead Man’s Diary” in 2017, “МЫ-US” in 2018, “The Stone” in 2019 and “The Seagull” in 2019. She has also traveled to several international theatre festivals to perform with Arlekin Players Theatre, including the United SOLO festival, off Broadway, New York; SOLO Festival in Moscow, Russia; HighFest theatre festival, Yerevan, Armenia with her award-winning solo performance “Natasha’s Dream.” Darya has been recognized by Boston critics and leading reviewers for her roles at Arlekin Players. She studied acting at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow, graduating in 2016. After she received her degree, she moved back to Boston to continue performing in Boston with Arlekin Players Theatre, which she joined in 2013. She has taught documentary theatre at the Startalk School at Harvard University and the Stanislavsky method at the Igor Golyak acting studio.

Igor Golyak (Director, Artistic Director) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for Arlekin’s The Stone and was also nominated in the same year for his direction of Arlekin’s The Seagull. He is an Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory, and has spent over a decade teaching the art of theatre. He is the founder of the Igor Golyak Acting Studio and Artistic Director of Arlekin Players Theatre which has won numerous awards in the United States and internationally and most recently an Elliot Norton award for his production of Dead Man’s Diary at Arts Emerson. Arlekin Players Theatre is a multicultural, multi-national collaborative that is growing year to year in the number of audience members, company actors, and volunteers. His theatre has been invited to perform on famous stages and at world-renowned festivals all over the world, including Moscow Art Theatre, and festivals in Yerevan, Armenia, New York City, Chicago, Lviv, Ukraine, Monaco, and many others.

“…A captivating theatrical experience! – Maya Phillips

See the full review at The New York Times

“…Exciting! A really clever production! A gripping performance! – Jared Bowen

Hear the full review at WGBH

“…visionary!” – Nancy Grossman

See the full review at broadwayworld.com

“…brilliant portrayal!” – Don Aucoin

See the full review at The Boston Globe

“…boldly creative!” – Ed Siegel

See the full review at WBUR

Voila! Festival and Cherry Orchard Festival present:

AN ONLINE INTERACTIVE LIVE PERFORMANCE

State vs. Natasha Banina

“A CAPTIVATING THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE!”

November 12 & 13 in English and November 15 in Russian

• Produced by: Igor Golyak and Sara Stackhouse
• Co-Presented by: Voila! Festival and the Cockpit, and Cherry Orchard Festival

WARNING! THIS IS A LIVE INTERACTIVE ART EXPERIENCE

She makes her case; the audience decides her fate. This is State vs. Natasha Banina.

Performed live by Darya Denisova (2020 Elliot Norton Award-winner for Outstanding Actress), State vs. Natasha Banina unfolds as a Russian teenager tells the story of her life in a small-town orphanage, and how her desire to be free led to a crime of passion. From the inside of a “Zoom court room,” she makes unique appeals to the audience/jury, letting them into her world where she dreams of love, family, and her future. Is Natasha guilty of manslaughter? You, the audience, will decide.

Based on Natasha’s Dream by the Russian playwright Yaroslava Pulinovich, this New York Times Critic’s Pick is a brilliant example of how live theatre can break boundaries and shock viewers even when experienced at home on a laptop. This particular event is reserved for students and educators only. You must register with a school-affiliated (.edu) email address.

Meet our Artistic Team!

• Based on Natasha’s Dream by Yaroslava Pulinovich
• Performer: Darya Denisova
• Translator: John Freedman
• Director and Video Design: Igor Golyak
• Production Associate: Marianna Golyak
• Animator: Anton Iakhontov
• Music Composor: Vadim Khrapatchev
• Produced by Igor Golyak & Sara Stackhouse

—–

Darya Denisova (Natasha Banina) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actress for Arlekin’s The Stone. She has performed as the lead actress in various Arlekin Players’ productions, including “Memorial Prayer” in 2014, “Natasha’s Dream” in 2015, “Tales of the Last Wednesday” in 2016, “Dead Man’s Diary” in 2017, “МЫ-US” in 2018, “The Stone” in 2019 and “The Seagull” in 2019. She has also traveled to several international theatre festivals to perform with Arlekin Players Theatre, including the United SOLO festival, off Broadway, New York; SOLO Festival in Moscow, Russia; HighFest theatre festival, Yerevan, Armenia with her award-winning solo performance “Natasha’s Dream.” Darya has been recognized by Boston critics and leading reviewers for her roles at Arlekin Players. She studied acting at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow, graduating in 2016. After she received her degree, she moved back to Boston to continue performing in Boston with Arlekin Players Theatre, which she joined in 2013. She has taught documentary theatre at the Startalk School at Harvard University and the Stanislavsky method at the Igor Golyak acting studio.

Igor Golyak (Director, Artistic Director) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for Arlekin’s The Stone and was also nominated in the same year for his direction of Arlekin’s The Seagull. He is an Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory, and has spent over a decade teaching the art of theatre. He is the founder of the Igor Golyak Acting Studio and Artistic Director of Arlekin Players Theatre which has won numerous awards in the United States and internationally and most recently an Elliot Norton award for his production of Dead Man’s Diary at Arts Emerson. Arlekin Players Theatre is a multicultural, multi-national collaborative that is growing year to year in the number of audience members, company actors, and volunteers. His theatre has been invited to perform on famous stages and at world-renowned festivals all over the world, including Moscow Art Theatre, and festivals in Yerevan, Armenia, New York City, Chicago, Lviv, Ukraine, Monaco, and many others.

“…A captivating theatrical experience! – Maya Phillips

See the full review at The New York Times

“…Exciting! A really clever production! A gripping performance! – Jared Bowen

Hear the full review at WGBH

“…visionary!” – Nancy Grossman

See the full review at broadwayworld.com

“…brilliant portrayal!” – Don Aucoin

See the full review at The Boston Globe

“…boldly creative!” – Ed Siegel

See the full review at WBUR

Arlekin Players Theatre and
Cherry Orchard Festival
present

the online Staged Reading of

Insulted. Belarus(sia)

by Andrei Kureichik

Sunday, October 18 at 8PM in Russian via ZOOM
Sunday, October 25 at 8PM in Russian via ZOOM
Sunday, November 8 at 8PM in English via ZOOM

Free show (with recommended donation)

The play tells the story of the first month of the Belarusian revolution, its ups and downs on the eve of the inevitable democratization of the country after 26 years of dictatorship. All characters have real prototypes; in some you will recognize former and current leaders of the country, in others – incredible Belarusians who have gone out to battle the totalitarian machine, sometimes at the cost of their lives, their freedom, and their loved ones. They represent polar points of view in the awakened Belarusian society. The author seeks to understand how the Belarusian revolution differs from Prague in 1968, Russia in 1991 and Ukraine in 2014. He tells of the tragic escalation of violence and repression employed by the authorities to repress freedom-seeking Belarusians with bayonets and clubs, and how solidarity, truth and faith in human values inevitably lead to victory over evil.

Playwright Andrei Kureichik will join the reading from hiding. There will be a post-show discussion with the cast and audience.

Director (Russian version), Igor Golyak  
Directed (English version), Blair Cadden
Translator, John Freedman

Igor Golyak (Director, Russian version; Artistic Director) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for Arlekin’s The Stone and was also nominated in the same year for his direction of Arlekin’s The Seagull. He is an Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory, and has spent over a decade teaching the art of theatre. He is the founder of the Igor Golyak Acting Studio and Artistic Director of Arlekin Players Theatre which has won numerous awards in the United States and internationally and most recently an Elliot Norton award for his production of Dead Man’s Diary at Arts Emerson. Arlekin Players Theatre is a multicultural, multi-national collaborative that is growing year to year in the number of audience members, company actors, and volunteers. His theatre has been invited to perform on famous stages and at world-renowned festivals all over the world, including Moscow Art Theatre, and festivals in Yerevan, Armenia, New York City, Chicago, Lviv, Ukraine, Monaco, and many others.

Blair Cadden (Director, English version) is a native of Charleston, SC, where she co-founded 5th Wall Productions, a small and scrappy theatre company with a focus on new work. She is currently pursuing her MFA in directing at Boston University. Some of her favorite productions include Spring Awakening (5th Wall Productions), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Flowertown Players), Polaroid Stories, and Time Stands Still (BU School of Theatre). Blair has previously collaborated with Arlekin Players as dramaturg for their 2019 production of The Seagull, and is excited to be working with them again this fall. Blair is honored to direct the English language reading of this urgent and important new play, and grateful for this chance to use virtual theatre to do what it does uniquely well: to amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard and share their story quickly and widely, even as it continues to unfold.

Andrei Kureichik (playwright) is one of the top playwrights, screenwriters and producers in Belarus. Author of some 30 plays, he has 17 credits on IMDB as a screenwriter, 4 as a producer, 3 as a director. His plays have been performed at the prestigious Moscow Art Theatre and Janka Kupala Theaters in Moscow and Minsk, as well as at numerous theatres throughout the former Soviet Union. Andrei wrote a much-read article about the events in Belarus two weeks ago for American Theater magazine. He is a member of the Coordinating Council of Belarus, whose members are called upon to lead the transition to a new government in Belarus. Many of the members are now in prison. He will be joining us virtually for these readings.

John Freedman (Translator) ​has written or edited and translated eleven books in the sphere of Russian drama and theater, including Silence’s Roar: The Life and Drama of Nikolai Erdman and Provoking Theater: Kama Ginkas Directs (co-authored with Ginkas), and his play Dancing, Not Dead won The Internationalists’ Global Playwright Contest in 2011. His Real and Phantom Pains: An Anthology of New Russian Drama is the largest collection of Russian plays ever published. He currently holds the position of Advisor to the Artistic Director at the Stanislavsky Electrotheatre in Moscow. He was the theater critic of The Moscow Times from the paper’s inception in 1992 until October 2015. He has been: a columnist for Plays International since 1994; the editor of the Russian Theater Archive for Harwood Academic Publishers (1992-2002); and has frequently contributed to the New York Times and other periodicals.

CASTS: To Be Announced!

• For Immediate Release
• September 15, 2020
• Media Contact: Mark W. Soucy
• mark@arlekinplayers.com   978-289-9887

ARLEKIN PLAYERS THEATRE and CHERRY ORCHARD FESTIVAL PRESENT

INSULTED. BELARUS(SIA)

A READING OF THE NEW PLAY BY BELARUSIAN PLAYWRIGHT ANDREI KUREICHIK

September 17 and 20, 2020

Needham, MA – Arlekin Players Theatre, and its presenting partner Cherry Orchard Festival in NY, will present two virtual readings of Insulted. Belarus(sia), a new play by Andrei Kureichik, with English translation by John Freedman. The play will be presented in Russian on Thursday, September 17 at 8:00 pm (Directed by Igor Golyak), and in English on Monday, September 21 at 8:00 pm (Directed by Blair Cadden). Both readings will offer a post-show discussion with the playwright, who is currently in hiding from Berlarus authorities.

The readings will take place online via the Zoom platform. Tickets are FREE, but must be reserved in advance. For more information or to reserve a Zoom spot, visit arlekinplayers.com or call (617) 942-0022. 

The readings are happening World-wide through a number of organizations – see full list below. “I am thrilled that Igor Golyak and Arlekin Players will be the first of over 20 companies in five countries to present “Insulted. Belarus(sia),” a brilliant and important new play, to the public,” says Translator John Freedman. “Written by Belarus’s top playwright as the revolution was happening all around him, it is filled with drama, pain, and hope.” 

Andrei Kureichik is a well-known Belarusian playwright and a member of the Coordination Council of Belarus—a group working to lead the transition to a new government and institute free elections in the wake of the falsified election that took place this August and the massive, ongoing protests that followed. Many members of this group are now in prison. Others have been forced into hiding or out of the country. Less than a week ago, while in hiding, Kureichik sent the text of his just-finished play to his translator with a request to quickly arrange readings so that others could know what they were experiencing. Within a week, over twenty theaters have signed on to present readings, and that number continues to grow. 

The play tells the story of the first month of the Belarusian revolution, its ups and downs on the eve of the inevitable democratization of the country after 26 years of dictatorship. All characters have real prototypes; in some you will recognize former and current leaders of the country, in others – incredible Belarusians who have gone out to battle the totalitarian machine, sometimes at the cost of their lives, their freedom, and their loved ones. They represent polar points of view in the awakened Belarusian society. The author seeks to understand how the Belarusian revolution differs from Prague in 1968, Russia in 1991 and Ukraine in 2014. He tells of the tragic escalation of violence and repression employed by the authorities to repress freedom-seeking Belarusians with bayonets and clubs, and how solidarity, truth and faith in human values inevitably lead to victory over evil.

Arlekin Players’ Artistic Director Igor Golyak says, “It’s quite gruesome and unbelievable what is currently happening in Belarus. People are being tortured, found in forests, randomly picked up by men with no identifiers as a reaction to hundreds of thousands of people peacefully protesting the falsified election. With the playwright in hiding and afraid for his life, this play needs to be heard now!” Blair Cadden adds, “It’s rare in the theatre to have the chance to tell a story while it’s still unfolding, but thanks to this playwright’s talent and courage, we’re able to do just that. It’s an honor to be part of telling this story, and it’s incredibly exciting to put this virtual medium we’ve all been forced into to its best possible use—as a way to share an urgent, important story quickly and widely.”

Arlekin Players Theatre was created in Boston in 2009 and has since toured to New York, Chicago, and Hartford, as well as to international festivals in Russia, Armenia, Ukraine, and Monaco. It’s current international virtual tour of State vs Natasha Banina has received World-wide acclaim, including the New York Times Critics’ Pick. Arlekin has received multiple awards for its work including four 2020 Elliot Norton Awards from the Boston Theater Critics Association for its recent productions of The Stone and The Seagull. Alekin takes strong pride in their emphasis on self-identity; they are a company of immigrants performing works that play on the ideas of cross-culture, home, and traditions, challenging the idea of nationality, and finding common themes that unite us all. The company makes its home in Needham, MA. For more information, visit www.arlekinplayers.com.

Artistic Bios

Igor Golyak (Director, Arlekin Founding Artistic Director) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for Arlekin’s The Stone and was also nominated in the same year for his direction of Arlekin’s The Seagull . He is an Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory, and has spent over a decade teaching the art of theatre. He is the founder of the Igor Golyak Acting Studio and Artistic Director of Arlekin Players Theatre which has won numerous awards in the United States and internationally. Arlekin Players Theatre is a multicultural, multi-national collaborative that is growing year to year in the number of audience members, company actors, and volunteers. His theatre has been invited to perform on famous stages and at world-renowned festivals all over the world, including Moscow Art Theatre, and festivals in Yerevan, Armenia, New York City, Chicago, Lviv, Ukraine, Monaco, and many others.

Blair Cadden (Director) is a native of Charleston, SC, where she co-founded 5th Wall Productions, a small and scrappy theatre company with a focus on new work. She is currently pursuing her MFA in directing at Boston University. Some of her favorite productions include Spring Awakening (5^th Wall Productions), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Flowertown Players), Polaroid Stories, and Time Stands Still (BU School of Theatre). Blair has previously collaborated with Arlekin Players as dramaturg for their 2019 production of The Seagull.

Andrei Kureichik (Playwright) is one of the top playwrights, screenwriters and producers in Belarus. Author of some 30 plays, he has 17 credits on IMDB as a screenwriter, 4 as a producer, 3 as a director. His plays have been performed at the prestigious Moscow Art Theatre and Janka Kupala Theaters in Moscow and Minsk, as well as at numerous theatres throughout the former Soviet Union. Andrei wrote a much-read article about the events in Belarus two weeks ago for American Theater magazine. He is a member of the Coordinating Council of Belarus, whose members are called upon to lead the transition to a new government in Belarus. Many of the members are now in prison.

John Freedman (Translator) has written or edited and translated eleven books in the sphere of Russian drama and theater, including Silence’s Roar: The Life and Drama of Nikolai Erdman and Provoking Theater: Kama Ginkas Directs (co-authored with Ginkas), and his play Dancing, Not Dead won The Internationalists’ Global Playwright Contest in 2011. His Real and Phantom Pains: An Anthology of New Russian Drama is the largest collection of Russian plays ever published. He currently holds the position of Advisor to the Artistic Director at the Stanislavsky Electrotheatre in Moscow. He was the theater critic of The Moscow Times from the paper’s inception in 1992 until October 2015. He has been: a columnist for Plays International since 1994; the editor of the Russian Theater Archive for Harwood Academic Publishers (1992-2002); and has frequently contributed to the New York Times and other periodicals. 

• List of Participating Theatres
• US
• New York Theater Workshop, NY, Jim Nicola
• St. Olaf College, Northfield MN, Marc Robinson
• Acropolis Performance Lab, Seattle, Zhenya Lavy/Joseph Lavy
• Minnesota State University, Mankato, Vladimir Rovinsky
• Arlekin Players Theatre, Boston, Igor Golyak & Blair Cadden
• Moscow Nights with Streamyard, New Orleans, LA, Natasha O. Ramer/Kathy Randels
• Theatre First, SF, Jean Emery Johnstone
• The Art Institute of Chicago, Ruth Margraff
• Studio 6, NY/NC, Robert Olinger
• Shrewd Productions, Austin, Chris Humphrey
• Wilma Theater, Yury Urnov
• Towson University, Dave White
• Rogue Machine, Los Angeles, Rachel Brunner
• Dept. Of Slavic Langs. And Lits., Harvard U, Cambridge, Jenya Mironava
• SCOTLAND
• Nicola McCartney, Scotland
• IRELAND
• Dublin Theatre Festival, Willie White
• ENGLAND
• ARTEL and Maketank, Exeter, Devon, Bryan Brown/Olya Petrakova
• New Perspectives Theatre, Nottingham, Jack McNamara
• Slung Low, Holbeck, Alan Lane, James Blakey, Joanna Resnick
• The National Center for Writing, Norwich, William Galinsky/Eimear McBride

• Artistic Director: Igor Golyak
• Theatre Manager: Mark W. Soucy
• Producer: Arlekin Players Theatre
• Presented by: Arlekin Players Theatre and Cherry Orchard Fesitval
• Play: Insulted. Belarus(sia)
• Venue: ONLINE via ZOOM
• Author: Andrei Kureichik
• Translator: John Freedman
• Directors: (Russian version) Igor Golyak and Blair Cadden (English version)
• Cast: To Be Announced
• Performance Schedule: Thursday, September 17, 8:00pm (in Russian) Monday, September 21, 8:00pm (in English)
• Ticket Prices: Free with Suggested Donation
• Telephone: 617-942-0022
• Online: arlekinplayers.com

A Free Online Event (suggested donation $25-$100)

“A CAPTIVATING
THEATRICAL
EXPERIENCE!”

EXTENDED THRU JULY 12!

Based on Natasha’s Dream by Yaroslava Pulinovich
Directed by Igor Golyak
Performed by Darya Denisova
Animation by Anton Iakhontov
Video by Igor Golyak
Music composed by Vadim Khrapatchev
Translated by John Freedman

WARNING! THIS IS A LIVE INTERACTIVE ART EXPERIMENT.

It seems unreal, but yes we are opening a new production! Rehearsing this piece during quarantine in our living room, we are now ready to present this experiment to the world. This is not a remount of a previously done production, nor a reading or a zoom monologue, but a brand new production. We are creating a new form to overcome social distancing, the pandemic, ultimately uniting people in one virtual space by merging theater, cinematography, and video games.

The Story:
In telling the story of Natasha Banina, performed live by Darya Denisova (2020 Elliot Norton Award-winner for Outstanding Actress by the Boston Critics Association), will interact with the audience as the jurors who decide her fate.

In State vs Natasha Banina (based on Natasha’s Dream by Yaroslava Pulinovich), a girl tells the story of her life in a small-town orphanage, and her desire to be free; break out of her world. From the inside of a “ZOOM” court room, she will make twists and turns through her unique appeal to audiences as the jurors, letting them into her world where she dreams about love, family, acceptance, adjusting and her future. Ultimately the two worlds collide and you get to decide her fate.

We’d like to thank Anton Nikolaev for our production trailer, Sara Stackhouse of Broadband for advising, and Joanne Barrett Public Relations/JBPR for consulting. 

Igor Golyak (Director, Artistic Director) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for Arlekin’s The Stone and was also nominated in the same year for his direction of Arlekin’s The Seagull. He is an Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory, and has spent over a decade teaching the art of theatre. He is the founder of the Igor Golyak Acting Studio and Artistic Director of Arlekin Players Theatre which has won numerous awards in the United States and internationally and most recently an Elliot Norton award for his production of Dead Man’s Diary at Arts Emerson. Arlekin Players Theatre is a multicultural, multi-national collaborative that is growing year to year in the number of audience members, company actors, and volunteers. His theatre has been invited to perform on famous stages and at world-renowned festivals all over the world, including Moscow Art Theatre, and festivals in Yerevan, Armenia, New York City, Chicago, Lviv, Ukraine, Monaco, and many others.

Darya Denisova (Natasha Banina) received the 2020 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actress for Arlekin’s The Stone. She has performed as the lead actress in various Arlekin Players’ productions, including “Memorial Prayer” in 2014, “Natasha’s Dream” in 2015, “Tales of the Last Wednesday” in 2016, “Dead Man’s Diary” in 2017, “МЫ-US” in 2018, “The Stone” in 2019 and “The Seagull” in 2019. She has also traveled to several international theatre festivals to perform with Arlekin Players Theatre, including the United SOLO festival, off Broadway, New York; SOLO Festival in Moscow, Russia; HighFest theatre festival, Yerevan, Armenia with her award-winning solo performance “Natasha’s Dream.” Darya has been recognized by Boston critics and leading reviewers for her roles at Arlekin Players. She studied acting at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow, graduating in 2016. After she received her degree, she moved back to Boston to continue performing in Boston with Arlekin Players Theatre, which she joined in 2013. She has taught documentary theatre at the Startalk School at Harvard University and the Stanislavsky method at the Igor Golyak acting studio.

Anton Iakhontov, Animation
Igor Golyak, Video
Vadim Khrapatchev, Composer

“…A captivating theatrical experience! – Maya Phillips

See the full review at The New York Times

“…Exciting! A really clever production! A gripping performance! – Jared Bowen

Hear the full review at WGBH

“…visionary!” – Nancy Grossman

See the full review at broadwayworld.com

“…brilliant portrayal!” – Don Aucoin

See the full review at The Boston Globe

“…boldly creative!” – Ed Siegel

See the full review at WBUR

CRITIC’S PICK

Review: A Bracing Trial by Zoom in ‘State vs. Natasha Banina’

Anchored by a charismatically off-kilter performance, this one-woman show asks viewers to judge a young Russian accused of a crime of passion.

By Maya Phillips June 17, 2020

The verdict is in: Zoom can, in fact, be an effective new stage for theater.

The Boston-based Arlekin Players Theater’s digital production of “State vs. Natasha Banina” reimagines the utility of the medium beyond everyday office meetings and virtual happy hours, using graphics, animation and other interactive elements to create a captivating theatrical experience.

The immersive production, directed by Igor Golyak and starring Darya Denisova, is based on “Natasha’s Dream,” by the Russian playwright Yaroslava Pulinovich. Before it starts, an announcement sounds: “By joining us today, you have self-selected to be part of our trial.”

Eschewing the virtual equivalent of a theater’s typically silent, anonymous audience, this “live theater and art experiment” encourages viewers to introduce themselves to one another via the Zoom chat, and to take an interactive poll so they can be selected as jurors.

But, clearly, this is no typical trial: At the performance I watched, more than a hundred participants peered into their computers from their homes across the U.S. to hear the testimony of Natasha Banina (Denisova), a Russian teenage orphan being tried for manslaughter. Natasha nonchalantly describes her time in the orphanage, among girls who bully one another and supervisors who seem not to care. But Natasha wants more; she had a dream, she tells us, repeatedly, with desperation.

And here’s when things got bad, she tells us: When she met a journalist who took an interest in covering her hardships at the orphanage, she became infatuated with him, then obsessed, until she was driven to commit a crime of passion. At the end, the audience votes on her fate: guilty or not guilty?

While many productions have been trying to figure out how to use Zoom to mask the fact that we’re seeing theater at a remove, “State vs. Natasha Banina” (presented by the Cherry Orchard Festival) leans into that sense of disconnection. Natasha herself is detached from the world, and as she moves around the white walls of her empty cell, fidgeting and throwing middle fingers up to the camera, we become drawn into her head space.

She draws on the walls, and the sketches come to life thanks to Anton Iakhontov’s brilliantly executed animations: a cigarette smokes; a two-dimensional drawing of a TV conjures a functional one that plays a news segment; a faucet drips hearts that drop to the bottom of the screen.

We encounter her imagined lover, too, though never rendered as a three-dimensional human but rather piecemeal, as just a hovering pair of glasses or a drawing of legs and feet, or, most commonly, as an astronaut who strolls alongside her, as though her imagination has fully launched her into space.

This mutable virtual tableau is satisfyingly disconcerting. We’re intimately acquainted with Natasha; her mind is open for us to see, with all of its dreams and diversions, and her imagination is suffocating, as she swings wildly between declarations of affection and vicious aspersions.

Yet we are asked to judge her. The play’s conceit feeds from this tension, between empathy and dispassionate scrutiny. Zoom ironically makes the interaction even more personal; Natasha looks at the screen and calls out the names of audience members, pleading with them to see her side of the story.

This is the second interactive trial play I’ve seen recently (“Where We Stand” had its audience rule on its protagonist’s rise and fall from grace thanks to a magical interloper). Both are quiet calls for accountability that reach beyond the stage. We are asked for awareness, a vigilant wokeness in regards to a society’s disadvantaged, who are so often born into circumstances that make them figuratively dead on arrival.

This conceit could come across as gimmicky or melodramatic if it weren’t for Golyak’s crafty direction and video design, and especially Denisova’s charismatically off-kilter performance.

Her ever-grinning Natasha is abjectly alluring: unhinged and almost bestial, as she fidgets, paces and compulsively picks her nose. Natasha’s vehement insistence on her strength and indifference (“I don’t care” is a common refrain) reveals just the opposite, which makes moments of vulnerability, as when she curls up in a ball in the corner of the room and speaks of her mother, that much more riveting.

One can pick up on the play’s political notes: a timely criticism of a system that punishes people who have been marginalized by broken institutions, including orphanages. But the unequal social scaffolding built around Natasha is overshadowed by the grotesque peculiarities of the character herself, and Denisova’s mesmeric rendering. Though the story holds, it’s a missed opportunity, in this current moment of protest.

As we each sit in our separate rooms, considering our own inconvenient detentions, “State vs. Natasha Banina” delivers an alternative: not freedom, but a view into another’s imprisonment. The sight is unsettling — the Cheshire grin of a girl trapped in a room with only her fantasies.

“State vs. Natasha Banina” is streamable on June 21 and June 28 at the website of the Cherry Orchard Festival.