WASHINGTON, May 31 (RIA Novosti) – A festival showcasing performance of Russian drama in its original language by Russian-American actors is set to open in June in New York in what organizers said Friday is the first event of its kind in the United States for adult audiences.
“Russians who come to the United States bring their culture and their heritage in literature, painting, art, many ways, and even though some people are integrated into American society, they still want to keep their heritage,” Igor Baboshkin, a spokesman for the festival, said in comments to RIA Novosti.
Russian theater, he added, generally has “more words, less action” than traditional America theatrical shows, including those on Broadway. The Russian performers, he said, “speak from the soul.”
“Russian State -- the 1st New York International Theater Festival” will open on Friday, June 14 at the Connelly Theater, an off-Broadway venue in New York’s Lower Manhattan, and will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of famed Russian actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski. Tickets can be purchased through the festival website.
The performance on June 14 will feature the Chaverim theater group of New York in one-act comedies of “Bear” and “Proposal.” A performance on June 15 will feature the Dialog theater group, also of New York, in a showing of “Playing Chekhov.” The Twosome theater group of Chicago will perform on Sunday.
There have been a number of Russian theater festivals in the United States featuring performances by and for children, but this is the first such festival designed for adults, and attracted early attention from performance groups in Washington, Houston, Miami and elsewhere across the United States, organizers said.
“I’m excited how many theaters expressed an interest in participating and I hope and I’m sure for the second festival there will be even more groups to perform,” said Baboshkin.
