About
The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish
by Alexander Pushkin
Directed by Evgeny Ibragimov
Set, Puppet, & Costume Design by Ksenya Litvak
Music by Nikolay Yakimov
April 2020 performances postponed – see Arlekin COVID-19 Update
“…a thing of magic, mystery, and beauty.
See it immediately!”
– JoycesChoices.com
“…something for everyone. It’s family-friendly, it’s funny, it’s moving…”
– Theatermirror.net
“…a gorgeous and affecting piece of work.”
– Boston Stage Notes
A non-verbal performance suitable for ages 4 and up.
Pushkin’s most famous tale comes to life with puppetry and live actors interacting in this extraordinary new adaptation. Told with vivid imagery and music, The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish is created for sophisticated adult audiences and children of all ages and languages.
One day, a poor old fisherman casts his net into the ocean and catches an unusual and beautiful talking fish. The fish begs the old man to release him, which he does, refusing any payment for this act of kindness. What happens next is a tale about love and betrayal, temptation and redemption.
Watch our trailer with an invitation from our
award-winning guest director Evgeny Imbrgimov!
(In Russian with English subtitles)
(Play is performed non-verbally)
Gallery
Artistic Team
Evgeny Ibragimov (Director) is a visiting artist from the Czech Republic. Winner of the Russian National Theatre Award THE GOLDEN MASK (Jacob Jacobson, 2002; … I Am Writing to You for the First Time, 2006; When I Am Little Again, 2016), and winner of the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation named after Fyodor Volkov (2003), Evgeny has led theatres in Abakan, Tallinn, the Czech Republic and directed puppet productions for major drama companies throughout Russia and Europe. He is one of the creators of the International Ecological and Ethnic Festival of puppet theatres Chir Chayaan in Khakassia. His most recent works are dedicated to immersive theatre, in which puppets participate on a par with objects, performers, shadows, and the audience moves in the dark space that causes confusion (Don Quixote. Aftertaste, The Snow Maiden).
Ksenya Litvak (Puppet, Set, and Costume Designer) is delighted to join the Arlekin Players Theatre. She has designed puppets, costumes, and sets for many theaters in the DC area, including the Kirov Ballet Academy, Bel Cantanti Opera Company, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Theater J, the National Theatre, Adventure Theater, Round House Theater, and Classika Theatre. She holds a DFA degree in Puppet Theater from The State Academy of Theatrical Arts, in St. Petersburg, Russia. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Artichoke Art Studio in Gaithersburg, MD.
Nikolay Yakimov (Composer) is a composer, arranger, sound producer, and musician, authoring music and sound design for more than 100 performances and theatrical shows in Russia and Europe. Four of his performances were nominated for the highest theatrical award of Russia, the “Golden Mask”, and several performances received the main prizes for musical arrangement at festivals in Russia and Europe. His is part of the creative union “AZIA”, the artistic director of the project “AZIA Plus” and the project “A +” at the festivals of the art song “Platform” and “Benefit”. The author of the term “modern chamber song.” He also serves as Artistic Director of multi-format festivals “Luf Parade” (Moscow), III International Valaam Festival of Orthodox Singing (Valaam Island, 2017) and as the Musical Director of the International workshop of the theater of synthesis and animation “INTERSTUDIO” (St. Petersburg, 1993-2000), the studio “Show Consulting” (St. Petersburg), and for puppet theaters in Chelyabinsk and St. Petersburg (1985-1995).
Igor Golyak (Artistic Director) 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. This coming fall 2019, he will be directing The Seagull at Arlekin Players Theatre and The Merchant of Venice at Actors’ Shakespeare Project.
Cast/Puppeteers:
Olga Sokolova, Rimma Gluzman, Eric Andrews,
Olga Aronov, Nana Ghukasyan, Boris Berdnikov, Darya Denisova,
Polina Dubovikova, Irina Vilenchik, Julia Shikh, and Alex Petetsky
CREATIVE TEAM
Evgeny Ibragimov DIRECTOR
Ksenya Litvak PUPPET, SET, COSTUME DESIGNER
Stephen Petrilli LIGHTING DESIGNER
Nikolay Yakimov COMPOSER
Katya Popova MASKS
PRODUCTION STAFF
Alex Petetsky TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Inessa Ostrova STAGE MANAGER
Irina Vilenchik PROPS MASTER
Natalia Mitlina WARDROBE
Matthew Pipko, Irina Ostrova, Paulomi Neogi BOARD OPERATORS
Irina Danilova, Igor Klimov PHOTOGRAPHER
Critics' Reviews
“…a thing of magic, mystery, and beauty.”
– Joyce Kulhawik
See the full review at JoycesChoices.com
“…something for everyone. It’s family-friendly, it’s funny, it’s moving…”
– Julie-Ann Whitney
See the full review at Theatermirror.net
“…a gorgeous and affecting piece of work.”
– James Wilkinson
See the full review at BostonStageNotes.com
Press Release
For Immediate Release, Please
January 15, 2020
Media Contact: Mark W. Soucy
mark@arlekinplayers.com 978-289-9887
ARLEKIN PLAYERS THEATRE CONTINUES 10th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
with Alexander Pushkin’s
THE TALE OF THE FISHERMAN AND THE FISH
February 14 – April 12, 2020
Needham, MA – Arlekin Players Theatre presents Alexander Pushkin’s The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish, in a newly-adapted version, conceived and directed by Evgeny Ibragimov and featuring Arlekin company members as performers and puppeteers. Performances will take place Fridays-Sundays, February 14 – April 12, 2020 (*see below*) at Arlekin Players Theatre in Needham. Tickets are $35. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit arlekinplayers.com or call (617) 942-0022. Arlekin will also offer unique pre-show and post-show talks for interested groups.
The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish is created for sophisticated adult audiences and is suitable for children ages five and up. This is a non-verbal performance utilizing imagery, movement, and music to tell the story of a poor old fisherman who catches an unusual and beautiful talking fish.
“This is one of the most famous of Russian fables and is often misunderstood to be a story of greed,” says Arlekin’s Artistic Director Igor Golyak. “It is actually a layered tale of love, and that is the inspiration for this new adaptation. Even though usually perceived as a children’s book, in the hands of this incredible master, Evgeny Ibragimov, the story speaks to people of different ages and cultures. The non-verbal aspect makes it a truly multicultural, multi-disciplinary piece of art.”
Visiting Director Evgeny Ibragimov has received the Russian National Theatre’s Golden Mask Award (Russia’s Tony) three times for his work, and has won the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation named after Fyodor Volkov. Puppet Designer, Set Designer, Scenographer, and Costume Designer Ksenya Litvak founded Artichoke Art Studio in Maryland and has designed for many DC theaters, including the Kirov Ballet Academy, Bel Cantanti Opera Company, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Theater J, The National Theatre, Adventure Theater, Round House Theater, and Classika Theatre.
The creative team also features Stephen Petrilli (lighting design), Nikolay Yakimov (original score) and a 12-member cast including Nana Ghukasyan, Irina Vilenchik, Julia Shikh, Polina Dubovikova, Darya Denisova, Olga Aronov, Olga Sokolova, Boris Berdnikov, Rimma Gluzman, Eric Andrews, and Alexander Petetsky.
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. 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. The company makes its home in Needham, MA. For more information, visit www.arlekinplayers.com.
*Performance Schedule
Friday, Feb 14 at 7:30pm – preview
Saturday, Feb 15 at 3pm and 6pm – previews
Sunday, Feb 16 at 3pm – (no 6pm performance) preview
Friday, Feb 28 at 7:30pm
Saturday, Feb 29 at 3pm and 6pm
Sunday, Mar 1 at 3pm and 6pm
Friday, Mar 6 at 7:30pm
Saturday, Mar 7 at 3pm and 6pm
Sunday, Mar 8 at 3pm and 6pm
Friday, Apr 3 at 7:30pm – postponed
Saturday, Apr 4 at 3pm and 6pm – postponed
Sunday, Apr 5 at 3pm and 6pm – postponed
Friday, Apr 10 at 7:30pm
Saturday, Apr 11 at 3pm and 6pm
Sunday, Apr 12 at 3pm and 6pm
###