Russia's State Theatre Of Nations Production Of Chekhov's IVANOV Comes to New York City Center

Maria Shclover and Irina Shabshis, Cherry Orchard Festival's co-founders and producers, today announced Russia's State Theatre of Nations will return to New York with Anton Chekhov's Ivanov, his timeless dramatic play about an antihero, a melancholic upper-class man struggling to regain his former glory, June 14 -17 2018, at New York City Center (131 W. 55th Street), as part of the VI Cherry Orchard Festival of the Arts.

The prolific theater and opera director Timofey Kulyabin, best known for his controversial take on Wagner's Tannhäuser at Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre in 2014, directs an award-winning cast, led by Evgeny Mironov, Chulpan Khamatova, Elizaveta Boyarskaya, and Victor Verzhbitsky. Premiered in Moscow on December 23, 2016, the production was nominated for the prestigious Golden Mask National Theatre Award (the equivalent of the Tony Award) in multiple categories.

Performed in Russian with English supertitles, Kulyabin's daring take on Ivanov retains Chekhov's keen observation, comedic eye for social detail, and instinct for the drama of human contradiction.

The schedule of performances is Thursday, June 14, Friday, June 15, and Saturday, June 16 at 7:30 PM; Sunday, June 17 at 2:00 PM.

The State Theatre of Nations has a special connection to Anton Chekhov, who made his debut as a playwright with this play in 1887 at the request of Fyodor Korsh, founder of the very first private theatre in Moscow, which is now the home of the State Theatre of Nations.

Filling out the cast of Ivanov are Igor Gordin, Dmitriy Serduk, Alexander Novin, Natalya Pavlenkova, Tatyana Shankina, Marianna Schults, and Alexey Kalinin. The set and costume design is by Oleg Golovko, the lighting design is by Denis Solntsev, and dramatic adaptation is by Roman Dolzhansky.

Tickets for the performances are priced at $45. - $155. and are available at the New York City Center Box Office in person or by calling CityTix 212.581.1212, by visiting http://www.nycitycenter.org/tickets or by visiting CherryOrchardFestival.org. Student discounts are available at the box office with valid ID. For group sales, please contact the Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation directly 800.349.0021 or by emailing info@cherryorchardfestival.org

In 2016 Cherry Orchard Festival presented Theatre of Nations in its critically acclaimed run of Shukshin's Stories based on Vasily Shukshin's post-Stalinist stories, under the direction of the Latvian director Alvis Hermanis, at New York City Center and Boston's Cutler Theater. Most recently, in January and February 2018, the Festival presented eight performances in Boston and Chicago of Brodsky / Baryshnikov, a one-man performance conceived and directed by Alvis Hermanis, noted Latvian director of the New Riga Theatre, based on the poems of Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky, and performed by Mikhail Baryshnikov, an old friend of the poet.

EVGENY MIRONOV (Nikolai Ivanov) has been the Artistic Director of the State Theatre of Nations since 2006. A theater and film star and People's Artist of Russia, he has acted in numerous international theater projects directed by stage directors such as Peter Stein (Germany), Declan Donnellan (UK), Thomas Ostermeier (Germany), Alvis Hermanis (Latvia), Robert Lepage (Canada), Eimuntas Nekrošius (Latvia), and Robert Wilson (USA). After graduating from the Moscow Art Theatre Studio School, Mr. Mironov joined the company of Oleg Tabakov's Studio Theatre and became its principal actor. He is a two-time State Prize winner and three-time winner of the National Theatre Award or "The Golden Mask" as Best Actor. Mr. Mironov is also the four-time winner of the Christal Turandot, and recipient of the International Stanislavsky Prize, Grand Prix of the Geneva International Film Festival, and other prizes.

Chulpan Khamatova (Anna/Sarah) is a People's Artist of Russia and theater and film star. She graduated from the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS) and has been with the company of Moscow's Sovremennik theater since 1998, where she acted in performances directed by Galina Volchek, Kirill Serebrennikov, Rimas Tuminas, and others. She has also been working with other theaters, including the Theatre of Nations, where she's collaborated with Alvis Hermanis, Thomas Ostermeier, and Roman Feodori. One of the most in-demand actresses of Russian film industry, Ms. Khamatova is also the founder of the Gift of Life charity fund. She is a multiple prize winner, including the Russian Federation State Prize, and a special humanitarian prize from the Golden Mask jury.

DIRECTOR TIMOFEY KULYABIN was named Chief Director of Moscow's Red Flame Theater in 2015. He graduated from the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS) in 2007 where he was instructed by Oleg Kudryashov. At Red Flame Theater, he staged The Queen of Spades, No Words and Evgeny Onegin by Pushkin, The High Wire Act by O. Antonov, Macbeth by Shakespeare, Masquerade by Lermontov, Hedda Gabler by Ibsen, Kill by Schiller, and The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov.

His productions of Macbeth (2008) and Kill (2013) were nominated for the Golden Mask National Theatre Award. The production of Evgeny Onegin received two Golden Mask Awards - for the best lighting design (by Denis Solntsev) and Drama and Puppet Theatre Jury`s Special Award.

He has staged productions in Riga (Livejournal at the Russian Drama Theatre, 2007), Yaroslavl (Carmen by Mérimée at the Volkov Drama Theatre, 2010), Saint Petersburg (The Overcoat DRESS CODE, at the Comedian's Shelter Theatre, 2012), and Moscow (Electra and #shakespearsonnets at the State Theatre of Nations, 2014).

In 2009 made his debut as an opera director with the production of Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 2014 he returned there to stage Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner, which was acknowledged as "the performance of the year" by the newspaper Musical Review.

He has participated in numerous Russian and international festivals, including European Festival for Young Theater Directors or "PREMIERES" (Strasbourg), Theatre Festival Siberian Transit, Rainbow Festival, Academy Festival, the International Volkov Festival, and the International Pushkin Festival in Pskov. His recent production of The Three Sisters was first presented at the VIII Russian Festival's Real Theater (Yekaterinburg), and then at the International Festival of Contemporary Art Territory (Moscow).

THEATRE OF NATIONS is a unique structure within the system of the Russian cultural institutions in terms of the scope and versatility of its activities. Founded in 1987 under the name of the Theatre of Friendship, it was renamed in 1991 into the State Theatre of Nations. The Theatre of Nations develops and implements a variety of theatre programs, organizes and holds national and international festivals, presents the best Russian and foreign productions of all genres and trends, produces its own performances, and pursues the ultimate goal of becoming the center for bringing up a new generation of theater practitioners.

The Theatre of Nations dedicates a significant part of its artistic life to its own productions. Its repertoire boasts a variety of genres and names of stage directors, including performances by such artists of world fame as Robert Wilson (USA), Alvis Hermanis (Latvia), Robert Lepage (Canada), Luc Bondy (France), Eimuntas Nekrosius (Lithuania), Thomas Ostermeier (Germany), Javor Gardev (Bulgaria), Russian director Andrey Moguchy, as well as performances by young directors Nikita Grinshpun, Tufan Imamutdinov, Timofei Kulyabin, and Dmitry Volkostrelov, most of whom made their professional debut on the Theater of Nations stage. The Theatre of Nations has been constantly touring, in most cases, as a member of the major Russian and European theatre festivals. Performances by the Theater of Nations have repeatedly received various prestigious awards and honors.

The annual CHERRY ORCHARD FESTIVAL, a production of the Cherry Orchard Foundation, is a celebration of the international arts in the heart of New York City and beyond. Each of its world-class, multi-disciplinary performing and visual arts attractions is unique and never has been presented before in the US. The Festival's creative team finds the newest and most daring projects in the international arts arena and introduces them to its audience. The Festival's mission is to initiate and promotes global cultural activity and exchange of ideas to an inter-generational audience through entertaining and educational programming and events in all genres. The Festival's team is committed to providing the finest entertainment, exceptional musical performances and enlightening educational programs to its patrons. Visit www.cherryorchardfestival.org to donate and to find more information about upcoming performances.

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