Click below to read Our Class and The Merchant of Venice Press Release!

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Click below to read The Dybbuk Press Release!

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Click below to read Arlekin’s 2023/24 Press Release!

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Click below to read Arlekin’s 2023/24 Press Release!

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Arlekin Players, an award-winning, artist-driven theater company helmed by Ukrainian-born artistic director Igor Golyak, today announces its next production THE GAAGA.

See full press release for details:

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Just Tell No One Press Release

February 9, 2023

Lincoln Center and Arlekin Players today announce collaboration on a one-night only multi-media staged reading of Just Tell No One that immerses the audience in these human stories and images of conflict so exquisitely painful they can no longer be perceived as real. It’s intimate, tender, brutal and darkly funny, illuminating a part of the world where an incomprehensible set of rules is at play, and people struggle to make sense of the complexity of one another with life and death consequences.

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Click below to read Arlekin’s 2021/22 Press Release!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact:  Keith Sherman & Associates, keith@ksa-pr.com 

Arlekin’s Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab & Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation

present

chekhovOS /an experimental game/

A Live and Interactive Virtual Theater Experience

Starring Jessica Hecht

With Anna Baryshnikov,

Anna Bortnick, Darya Denisova, Jeffrey Hayenga, Melanie Moore,

Nael Nacer & Mark Nelson

And Mikhail Baryshnikov

as Anton Chekhov

Conceived and Directed by Igor Golyak

May – June 2021

Tickets and information at:

www.zerogravity.art 

Arlekin Players Theatre today announces spring dates: May 23 – June 24 for chekhovOS /an experimental game/, the latest production from (zero-G), Arlekin’s Zero Gravity Virtual Theater Lab. 

chekhovOS /an experimental game/, is a multi-media interactive theatrical experience from Arlekin Players Theatre’s founder and director Igor Golyak, who has been a leading innovator of virtual theater. Golyak’s latest work fuses theater, film, video game technology, and live interactivity to create a new experience where viewers are able to interact with the performers. chekhovOS /an experimental game/ is produced by Igor Golyak and Sara Stackhouse of Arlekin’s Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab.

Inspired by Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard and drawing from recordings of Chekhov’s letters and dreams, this new show portrays all of Chekhov’s characters as they are trapped inside Chekhov’s worldview, his psyche, his “operating system”. Audiences start receiving messages via email and text from the characters before the play begins online, leading viewers to a secret video where the characters beg them to “vote the right way” during the show.

The performance schedule is: Sunday, May 23 at 8:00pm EST, Thursday, May 27 1:00pm EST, Sunday, May 30 at 11:00am EST, Sunday, June 6 at 8:00pm EST, Sunday, June 13 at 8:00pm EST, Sunday, June 20 at 8:00pm EST, and Thursday, June 24 at 8:00pm EST. 

Tickets are free and must be reserved by visiting: www.zerogravity.art. Donations to Arlekin’s Resilience Fund or special charities are encouraged.

Of Arlekin’s previous production of State vs. Natasha Banina, The New York Times raved, ““The verdict is in: the virtual can, in fact, be an effective new stage for theater,” and Vulture cheered, “a transfixing, virtuosic piece of performance.” 

When the show begins, audience members are taken inside the “virtual operating system” on their computers, arriving in an interactive space where Natasha Prozorov from Chekhov’s Three Sisters can see and interact with them. 

Chekhov’s letters are accessed and appear on screen and the scenes take place on top of virtual cherry trees, hanging in the air, and walking on the ground as it cracks beneath them.  The characters search for happiness and escape.  In this mix of theater, film and gaming, the audience is invited to interact and vote on the outcome. Audiences vote via remote control on their phone, are seen on the walls of the virtual space, can unmute to choose what scene is seen next or guess a password, and are active in a lively chat throughout the show. Will the characters be trapped once again in their beautiful, broken world as it devolves to game over? 

The cast of chekhovOS /an experimental game/ features Tony-Nominee Jessica Hecht, who performs the iconic role of Ranevskaya. The presentation also features Anna Baryshnikov (Apple TV+’s Dickinson) as Varya; Darya Denisova as Natasha Prozorov; Anna Bortnick as Charlotta, 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 Nael Nacer as Lopakhin. Baryshnikov Arts Center Founder and Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov makes a special appearance in the role of Anton Chekhov. 

This marks the first time that Mikhail and Anna Bayshnikov have performed in the same production together.

“Through this enhanced virtual theatre, we are finding out how humankind can find each other in the virtual while continuing to treasure the in-person encounter, making a new kind of site-specific theater,” said director Igor Golyak. “I find myself in constant dialogue with The Cherry Orchard -during a time of loss and recovery, as it helps us explore connection, transition, and the human yearning for happiness. We are grateful to our co-presenters for sharing this internationally with a broader audience and for the opportunity to do so on the incredible .ART platform. It is thrilling to be developing work in this new genre with these visionary partners.”

chekhovOS /an experimental game/ was developed and filmed, in part, at Baryshnikov Arts Center in January, 2021 with strict adherence to COVID health and safety protocols.

Conceived and directed by Golyak, chekhovOS /an experimental game/ has virtual performance technical direction by Vladimir Gusev, game engine & interaction design by Will Brierly of Snowrunner Productions using his platform, “The Soft Layer”, narrative by Tom Abernathy, virtual set and environment design by Anna Fedorova, web development by Anatoly Krivonos, music composition by Jakov Jakoulov, and properties by Irina Vilenchik. The show runs on over 10 pieces of software and is powered by Aximmetry, the official software provided for Zero Gravity.

“We are pleased today to announce our new partnership with Arlekin’s Zero Gravity (zero-G) Lab. As the world shut down a year ago in the midst of the global pandemic, artists and the creative community, especially the ones in the live arts such as theatre, dance and music, had to reinvent themselves,” said Ulvi Kasimov, Founder of .ART and nominee of Observer’s ART POWER 50. “Arlekin Players Theatre didn’t shy away from the occasion. Instead, they converted their black box space into the Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab and they are now a world leader in digital theater innovation.”

This production constitutes Phase One of a larger hybrid (live/virtual) chekhovOS project on track for a production in New York in 2022, and is made possible with generous support from producing sponsor .ART, ArtsEmerson, Baryshnikov Arts Center, BroadBand Collaborative, Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation, Fooksman Family Foundation, Meghan Coleman, Robin Hanley, ZiphyCare, gifts from Arlekin’s Zero Gravity Kickstarter Campaign and Aximmetry Technologies Ltd., the official software provider for Arlekin’s Zero Gravity (zero-G) Lab.

chekhovOS/an experimental game/ is co-presented from May to June by local, national, and international partners from the worlds of theater and gaming, including ArtsEmerson, BostonFIG, UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA), Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation, International Online Theatre Festival (IOTF)/Theatre Times, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA), ShowOne Productions (Canada), Snowrunner Productions, with special charity screenings in Europe and the US in partnership with the US and UK charitable foundation Gift of Life / Podari.Life founded by Russian actress Chulpan Khamatova, all hosted on www.zerogravity.art.  

The performance schedule at a glance:

Sunday, May 23 at 8:00pm EST
Co-presented by UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA Portland Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA)
Followed by live talkback with Jessica Hecht (Ranevskaya), Kristy Edmunds (Artistic & Executive Director, UCLA (CAP)), Igor Golyak (Director), Sara Stackhouse (Co-producer)

Thursday, May 27 1:00pm EST
Co-presented by Gift of Life (UK and Europe)
Followed by live talkback with members of the cast & creative team

Sunday, May 30 at 11:00am EST
Co-presented by International Online Theater Festival/Theatre Times
Followed by live talkback with members of the cast & creative teamModerated by Magda Romanska, Editor-in-Chief, TheTheatreTimes.com

Sunday, June 6 at 8:00pm EST
Co-presented by ArtsEmerson
Followed by live talkback with cast members Anna Baryshnikov and Jeffrey Hayenga, and director Igor Golyak
Moderated by Rob Orchard, Founder & Creative Consultant, ArtsEmerson

Sunday, June 13 at 8:00pm EST
Co-presented by Podari.Life US
Followed by live talkback with members of the cast & creative team
Moderated by Joyce Kulhawik, Emmy Award-Winning A & E Critic

Sunday, June 20 at 8:00pm EST
Co-presented by Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation & ShowOne Productions
Followed by live talkback with with cast members Anna Baryshnikov and Mark Nelson, and director Igor Golyak

Thursday, June 24 – 8:00pm EST
Co-presented by Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation & ShowOne Productions
Followed by live talkback with members of the cast & creative team

#  #  #

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 and ZeroGravity.ART.

.ART is the art world’s digital domain of choice. Not bound by geographical location or industrial constraints it aims to support, empower and generate value for the creative community. It is also intending to be an innovation activator with its own solutions as well as promoting the ones of others creative community members. .ART is a space where artists, institutions, professionals and creative can register a clear and concise website address that reflects their passion, occupation and belonging to the art world.

Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation (www.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. 

For more information about

chekhovOS/an experimental game/

and to arrange tickets, please visit: 

www.zerogravity.art 

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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 – One Night Only

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 Tramp; 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

Tramp Darya Denisova

And Mikhail Baryshnikov as Anton Chekhov

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.

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. The company makes its home in Needham, MA. For more information, visit www.arlekinplayers.com.

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

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