SEAGULL: TRUE STORY by Alexander Molochnikov is Coming to La MaMa
Performances will run from May 16 - June 1.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Mar. 20, 2025
La MaMa, in association with MART Foundation & En Garde Arts, will present the world premiere of Seagull: True Story by rising star, Russian director Alexander Molochnikov. Written by Eli Rarey, the production is inspired by Molochinikov’s own experience of leaving Russia for America after speaking out against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Running May 16 – June 1, 2025, with an opening set for Monday, May 19, performances take place at La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre.
Seagull: True Story centers on Kon, a director at the Moscow Art Theatre, who stages a bold, free-spirited production of Chekhov’s The Seagull—until Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine casts a shadow of censorship upon the work. His once vibrant reimagining, rooted in freedom, is reduced to an empty shell of his vision. Determined to save his play, Kon flees to New York, hoping to bring his true vision to life. But the American dream proves cold. His important and symbolic theater production finds little welcome, and he faces loss and rejection. Like Treplev from The Seagull, he teeters on the brink of suicide but refuses to give up. Torn between his Russian roots and an elusive American paradise, Kon must redefine himself as an artist in order to survive.
Seagull: True Story is inspired by recent events in Molochnikov’s own life. An award-winning director in Russia, Molochnikov left Russia in 2022 after speaking out against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. He cannot return home. Of the experience, Molochnikov says, “I never thought I'd have the courage to stage a play about myself, but the war has changed life so drastically that in the past three years, I've been living and reliving a full-fledged drama. It is the most important thing I’ve ever had to do, a story of a world of creativity bursting before my eyes, of the impossibility of freely creating art and the necessity to fight for its freedom in both Russia and the US!"
The cast of Seagull: True Story includes Stella Baker (Patriots), Andrey Burkovskiy (Our Class, CSC/BAM), Ohad Mazor, Quentin Lee Moore, Keshet Pratt, Zuzanna Szadkowski (HBO’s The Gilded Age, CW’s Gossip Girl), Eric Tabach, and Elan Zafir (Bedlam).
Producer Sofia Kapkova remarked, “I’ve known Alexander for nearly a decade and have always admired his artistic vision and unwavering dedication—whether he’s working on an intimate production or a large-scale ballet for a major company. His experience of leaving Russia, in many ways, parallels my own and that of countless Russians who are against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. I’m honored to be supporting Alexander’s Off-Broadway debut and to introduce his artistic vision to American audiences during these turbulent times.”
The creative team for Seagull: True Story also includes Alexander Shishkin (scenic design), Kristina Kharlashkina (costume design), Brian Scott (lighting design), Sam Saliba (assistant lighting design), Fedor Zhuravlev (composer), Dan Safer (original choreography), Ohad Mazor (choreography adaptation), Mary Kate Baughman (stage manager), Ruth E. Sternberg (production manager/general manager) Anne Hamburger, En Garde Arts (creative producer), and Sofia Kapkova, MART Foundation (executive producer).
Sixteen performances of Seagull: True Story will take place May 16 – June 1, 2025, at La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre, located at 66 E 4th Street in Manhattan. Critics are welcome as of Saturday, May 17, for an opening on Monday, May 19. The performance schedule is Thursdays through Saturdays at 7pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm with an additional 7pm performance on Monday, May 19, and Wednesday, May 28. General admission tickets are $45 and $40 for students or seniors. The first 10 tickets to every performance are $10 each.
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