THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE Premieres At Arlekin Players Theatre

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane comes to life on stage December 7 - March 3 NEEDHAM, MA: Arlekin Players Theatre is happy to announce its newest production, an original adaptation based on the book by the award-winning author Kate DiCamillo, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Edward Tulane, an expensive toy rabbit made of china, loved dearly by a young girl, suddenly finds himself lost and alone. His powerful story takes the audience on a journey of unimaginable life lessons that will appeal to all ages. He and the young (at heart) members of our audience will venture to the bottom of the ocean, dance on the streets of the big city, wander under the endless star-filled sky, and lose and find friends.

To join us on this magical odyssey of self-discovery and meaning, Arlekin Players Theatre is urging all audience members to come dressed in their best pajamas, and bring a pillow. The show is presented in Russian and English simultaneously.

Directed by Alexander Huh, and produced by Artistic Director, Igor Golyak. The show features scenography and costumes by Nastya Bugaeva, and a 11-member cast.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane runs December 7 - March 3 at 368 Hillside Avenue in Needham. Performances, in Russian and English simultaneously, take place Fridays at 7:30pm and Saturday, Sunday at 2pm and 6pm. Tickets ($35/$50) are available by calling (617) 942-0022, or online at www.arlekinplayers.com.

Arlekin Players Theatre was created in Boston in 2009 and has since toured to New York, Chicago, and Hartford, as well as to several international festivals. 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. Performances are in Russian, with simultaneous translation into English. The company makes its home in Needham, MA. www.arlekinplayers.com.

TeamKate DiCamillo is the author of many books for young readers. Her books have been awarded the Newbery Medal (Flora & Ulysses in 2014 and The Tale of Despereaux in 2004); the Newbery Honor (Because of Winn-Dixie, 2001), the Boston Globe Horn Book Award (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, 2006), and the Theodor Geisel Medal and honor (Bink and Gollie, co-author Alison McGhee, 2011; Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride, 2007). She is a National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Emerita, appointed by the Library of Congress.

Alexander Huh's thesis project "The Magic Ring" based on the fairytale by Boris Shergin garnered widespread interest of audience members and media, winning a special prize as part of the famous Golden Mask Awards (Russian Tony Awards). After this, he continued to direct popular shows in other big cities in Russia like Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, among others. In 2016, Alexander traveled to the US to direct a show based on Isaac Bashevis "Singer's Tales" at Arlekin Players Theatre in Boston. This year, Alexander directed "The Karamora" by Maxim Gorky at The Russian Academic Youth Theatre, which was critically acclaimed and added to the national Golden Mask Awards longlist. Currently, his production based on the play by Moliere called "The School for Wives" is playing at the Moscow Theatre of Oleg Tabakov.

Nastya Bugaeva graduated from the famous Moscow Art Theatre in 2009 with a degree in Set Design. It was years later in 2018, that she started teaching at the school. As an accomplished set and costume designer, she collaborated on over 30 productions at prestigious theatres like the Moscow Art Theatre, Sovremennik Theatre, Mayakovsky Theatre, Masterskaya Fomenko Theatre, Vakhtangov Theatre, Theatre of Nations, Moscow Satire Theatre, Krasnoyarsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Theatre of Musical Comedy and many more in Russia and around the world. She has been lucky enough to work with world-renowned directors like M. Brusnikina, V. Ryzhakov, A. Sigalova, V.Petrov, and V.Mirzoyev. Nastya is a regular participant in Russian and foreign national exhibitions of theatre designers such as the Russian Shakespeare, Northern Stage, Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK), Season Results, Baltic Seasons, and others. Nastya is a "Your Chance 2009" exhibition laureate (Grand Prize for Best Set Design for "Don Juan" by Moliere). Igor Golyak graduated from the Schukin Theatre Institute in Moscow in 2002 with a specialization in acting. While attending the school, Igor acquired such awards as "Best Student Performance" at the Yaroslavl Theatre Festival for his role in The Portrait, and "Best Actor Award" in the Vienna Theater Festival for his role in the Diary of a Madman. Upon graduation, he was accepted to "Teatru Nikitskih Vorot" and performed with the theatre for two years. At the same time, he acquired a professional teaching/ directing degree from the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow. Igor has taught seminars at Wellesley College, Russian Academy of Theatre Arts/Middlesex University, Moscow Specialized Institute for the Arts, ARBOS Theatre Festival, New Art Studio, and Arlekin Studio in Needham. Currently Igor holds a position of Associate Professor of Theater at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

In 2011, Arlekin's production of Anton Chekhov's "The Bear" was the winner of the New England Regional Festival in Concord, NH, selected to move on to the national level of competition in Rochester, NY that following June. Also in 2011, while participating in the Michael Chekhov International Theatre Festival, the company won the Best Director and Best Actress Award. The Company was a guest participant of the 2012 International Festival "Golden Lion" in Lviv, Ukraine, after which Arlekin was invited to perform its production of Alexander Pushkin's "The Guest" at the Moscow Art Theatre School. Performed on one of the most admired stages in Moscow, the production was greeted with a standing ovation. In 2013, Arlekin was honored to represent the United States with their production of Anton Chekhov's "The Bear" at the prestigious Mondial du Théâtre in Monaco, hosted by Prince Albert.

In 2016, the show "Natasha's Dream" was invited to and took part in three international theatre festivals - United Solo Festival New York (Best Projection Design award), Moscow SOLO Festival, Russia (Where they shared the stage with Robert Wilson, Romeo Castellucci and Konstantin Raikin)and HighFest Yerevan, Armenia.
Most recently, Arlekin Players Theatre won the prestigious 2018 Elliot Norton award for Outstanding Design, Midsize, Small or Fringe Theater for their production of "Dead Man's Diary: A Theatrical Novel," which played at the Paramount Theatre in Boston.

For more information about Arlekin Players Theatre, visit www.arlekinplayers.com.

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