The post Review: A Bracing Trial by Zoom in ‘State vs. Natasha Banina’ appeared first on Arlekin Players Theatre.

“PHILLIPS Both “Mad Forest” and “State vs. Natasha Banina” demonstrated how plays that explore broken institutions, social unrest and isolation may be uniquely suited to this form. And both took advantage of the elements of Zoom theater that are often taken to be hiccups or challenges: the kind of glitchy, uncanny delay you get in virtual live broadcasts, the artificial effects.

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“BRANTLEY I’d like to bounce off a couple of things Maya brought up. I love it that technological glitches and fuzziness can seem like an appropriate part of the mise-en-scène, as in “Mad Forest” and “State.” It lends a spontaneity and serendipity to Zoom performances that you associate with live theater, but it’s different in how things can seem to go wrong and then turn out right.”

Read more from the New York Times about Zoom performances here.

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Below are some of our favorite excerpts from Steve Capra’s review of State vs. Natasha Banina. We thank them for their review, and we have provided a link below to read it in full.

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“Indeed, Darya Denisova’s bravura performance needs no ornamentation. It’s splendid, mesmerizing acting. So layered is this performance that we see simultaneously Natasha’s conflicting emotions – her need for attention, her enjoyment at talking to us, her embarrassment at exposing herself emotionally. She seems never to have had anyone to confide in before this trial. It’s only a criminal jury that cares to listen.”

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” […] As Natasha’s story came closer to its end, I became aware that I would have to make a tough decision. Is this what justice should look like? What does it mean for me to sit in the comfort of my own home and judge the actions of another? In a time where we are so quick to judge others on social media yet use the same apps to quench our thirst for human connection, the pressure of deciding Natasha’s fate felt enormous. She was also looking right at us.”

Read more from Theatre Talk Boston’s review of State vs. Natasha Banina here.

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We appreciate their review, and suggest you read/hear more from them here.

The post State vs. Natasha – the ARTery appeared first on Arlekin Players Theatre.

“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.”

“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.”

Read more from the NYT Critic’s Pick review of Natasha here

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We appreciate their review, and suggest you read/hear more from them here.

The post State vs. Natasha – Boston Public Radio + Open Studio appeared first on Arlekin Players Theatre.

To add suspense to the drama, the audience has no idea what crime Natasha’s accused of until the very end.   Up to that point, it seems as if she could very possibly find herself the victim of some heinous act.  We spend most of the hour finding out who she is.  But before that, those who’ve constructed State have asked the audience, via a fast-moving survey, a few pointed questions about what makes them tick.  Some of the questions are benign.  Others make you look inward and peer into places you may not have looked in a long time.  It’s all relevant to the play’s conclusion and how you, as an eventual member of Natasha’s jury, will rule on how she will spend the rest of her fictional life.

Read more from the City Pleasure’s review of State vs. Natasha Banina here.

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“However, in the end, the most compelling part of Denisova’s performance is her closing plea to the jury just before we are asked to vote on the verdict. A form pops up on the screen asking if we believe that the defendant is guilty based on the testimony. Moments later, the results are reported. I don’t think it spoils anything to reveal that the opening night audience voted 68% YES. The crazy thing is that this exercise actually helps us to feel the presence of others who are watching the show with us. At the post-show discussion, Denisova was asked if she could feel the energy of the audience and she answered in the affirmative, perhaps aided by being privy to the questionnaire answers.”

Read more from Broadway World’s review of State vs. Natasha Banina here.

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“The verdict of Natasha’s case is not the first time that the production asks its audience to participate in a survey. Before the performance begins, a Zoom poll appears that asks the audience to reflect on their personal histories by answering questions such as: ‘When was the last time you cried?’ or ‘Growing up, did you feel that people understood you?’ These questions not only serve to create an immersive experience by mimicking a real jury selection process, but they also prime the audience members to actively consider their own relationships to the play’s themes of prejudice and misfortune.”

Read more from the Daily Californian’s review of State vs. Natasha Banina here.

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