novaya zemlya or, a strange, new land to Play Fringe Festival

Best In Class Productions presents award-winning novaya zemlya or, a strange, new land, by Mila Golubov, as part of the 17th annual New York International Fringe Festival- FringeNYC. novaya zemlya is part coming of age story, part twisted fairy tale. Set in early 90's Ukraine, the play serves up hearty helpings of vodka, Russian roulette, and even an appearance by Baba Yaga.

novaya zemlya or, a strange, new land tells the tale of two siblings, Serge and Dascha Apartov, living in an isolated country house, oblivious to world at large, over the course of ten years. In that time, they learn nothing of the outside world. Things they missed out on: the Chernobyl meltdown, the fall of Communism, the mass exodus of Russian Jewry and the rise of Roseanne. As the Apartov siblings become aware of the world beyond their shack, their illusions collapse faster than the U.S.S.R. Join them as they experience sex, love, and migration to Brooklyn, U.S.A.

After a sold out performance at HERE Arts, novaya zemlya or, a strange, new land won Best Play of the 2013 Downtown Urban Theater Festival. Playwright Golubov's plays and solo show have been featured at United Solo, Dixon Place, EATfest, ESPA Detention Series, The Player's Theater, HyperAware Theater Co. and as part of Guerilla Girls: We Are Theatre Night.

Caggiano returns to FringeNYC for another season after directing the FringeNYC 2012 existential hit Outside Providence at The Cherry Lane Studio Theatre. Caggiano is also part of New Perspectives Theater's 2013 Women's Work LAB and has recently directed reasons to be pretty (The Secret Theatre) and ALICE (The Shell).

The cast features Liba Vaynberg (Black Milk, Macbeth) as Dascha the wide-eyed daughter, Thami Moscovici (I Can't Imagine Tomorrow) as Elena the protective mama bear . Kevin Russo (Abstract Nude) as the scheming Serge, Robert Eigen (The Bald Soprano, Three Sisters) as the mysterious General Popov, and Alisa Glembotski (Merchant of Venice) who artfully plays three distinct characters as Raina/ Baba Yaga/ KGB. The design team includes Drama Desk nominated sound designer Ien DeNio (Pilo Family Circus).

novaya zemlya marks the fifth collaboration for Golubov and Caggiano. Previous collaborations include Friends and Monsters (Thespian Production), Tell Tale Text (Players Theatre), and In A Relationship (Dixon Place, United Solo, Emerging Artists Theatre).