Witness

Posted on August 23, 2021 Categories: Past Productions

A (zero-G) virtual theater production

Directed by Igor Golyak

December 10 – January 23

About

Witness — A virtual environment from WITNESS, scenography by Anna Fedorova, virtual design by Daniel Cormino

“United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,
courtesy of Fred [Fritz] Vendig”

“United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Julie Klein, Photo by Max Reid”

WITNESS

A new virtual documentary theater piece

Written by Nana Grinstein
with Blair Cadden & Igor Golyak
Conceived and directed by Igor Golyak
Scenography & Costume Design by Anna Fedorova
Virtual Design by Daniel Cormino
Sound Design by Viktor Semenov
DP/Editor, Anton Nikolaev
Produced by Sara Stackhouse
Featuring the Arlekin Acting Company

December 10, 2021 – January 23, 2022
This is a STREAMING performance.
WITNESS can only be viewed ONLINE.
Tickets $25

Where do unwanted people go?

WITNESS, the latest project from Arlekin’s Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab, is a new documentary theater piece about Jewish immigration in the face of antisemitism. WITNESS brings actors and audience together from around the world for a shared immersive experience set on a boat in digital space. The piece is inspired by the journey of the MS St. Louis, which left Hamburg in 1939 with over 900 Jewish people on board and headed to Cuba only to be turned away, leaving the passengers stranded with nowhere to go and no escape. WITNESS shares stories of Jewish immigrants from around the globe through an interactive virtual theater experience at the nexus of film, theater and video games.

“…the future of online productions might be best represented so far by Arlekin Players Theatre…” –This Week in New York ‘20 This Week in New York

View Press Release

“…the future of online productions might be best represented so far by Arlekin Players Theatre…” –This Week in New York ‘20 This Week in New York

• NY Times Critics Pick
• TWI-NY Pandemic Awards Best Use of Chat in Streaming Production
• Broadway World Boston, Golyak Best Direction of a Stream
• Best Theater of 2021 Lists – Boston Globe, Sound End News, Jewish Journal

Performance Schedule

This is a STREAMING performance.
WITNESS can only be viewed ONLINE.

Click Performance Date to Purchase

Friday, December 10 at 7:30pm ET – Preview Performance
Post-show talkback with members of the cast and creative team

Saturday, December 11 at 7:30pm ET – Preview Performance
Post-show talkback with members of the cast and creative team

Sunday, December 12 at 7:30pm ET – Preview Performance
Post-show talkback with members of the cast and creative team

Monday, December 13 at 7:30pm ET – Opening Night (World Premiere)
Post-show talkback with members of the cast and creative team

Friday, December 17 at 7:30pm ET
Special post-show talkback moderated by Miriam Anzovin, Host, The Vibe of the Tribe

Saturday, December 18 at 1pm ET | 8pm IST
Special Russian Language post-show talkback, moderated by Lena Kreindlin, Director General, Gesher Theatre
Co-presented by Gesher Theater (Israel) & Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation (New York)
Sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to New England

Saturday, December 18 at 7:30pm ET
Post-show talkback with members of the cast and creative team
Sponsored by Jookender
THIS PERFORMANCE IS SOLD OUT

Sunday, December 19 at 1pm ET | 8pm IST
Special post-show talkback moderated by Amir Tadmor, Director of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel to New England
Co-presented by Gesher Theatre (Israel) & Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation (New York)
Sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to New England

Friday, January 14 at 7:30pm ET
Post-show talkback with members of the cast and creative team

Saturday, January 15 at 7:30pm ET
Post-show talkback with members of the cast and creative team

Sunday, January 16 at 3pm ET
Special post-show talkback moderated by Dr. Rebecca Erbelding, US Holocaust Memorial Museum Historian

Sunday, January 16 at 7:30pm ET
Special post-show talkback moderated by Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann
Co-presented by Mishkan Chicago

Thursday, January 20 at 7:30pm ET
Post-show talkback with members of the cast and creative team
Sponsored by @akiva for Teens Cleveland
THIS PERFORMANCE IS SOLD OUT

Friday, January 21 at 7:30pm ET
Post-show talkback with members of the cast andSpecial talkback moderated by Joyce Kulhawik, President of the Boston Theater Critics Association, Emmy Award-Winning A & E Critic creative team

Saturday, January 22 at 7:30pm ET
Special talkback moderated by Dr. Rachel Merrill Moss.
Co-presented by Action for Post-Soviet Jewry & The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at New England Historic Genealogical Society

Sunday, January 23 at 1pm ET
Post-show talkback with members of the cast and creative team
Special performance to support Shalva (Jerusalem)
Sponsored by .ART
With additional support from Consulate General of Israel to New England

Sunday, January 23 at 5pm ET
Special Post-show talkback moderated by Dr. Barbara Wallace Grossman
Co-presented by Jewish Arts Collaborative and The Vilna Shul

Thank you to our Sponsors & Co-Presenters

Consulate General of Israel to new England

See our WITNESS Playbill

Cast

AUDIO CAST

WITNESS is joined for an audio-only segment featuring a versatile group of voice actors including Aiki Arzoumanian, Boris Berdnikov, Nana Ghukasyan, Igor Golyak, Anne Gottlieb, Luz Lopez, Nael Nacer, Juan Paniagua, Robert Pemberton, Alex Petetsky, Gene Ravvin, Oldren Romero, Elizabeth Sarytchev, Olga Sokolova, and Richard Snee.

LIVE & FILMED CAST

EMCEE: Gene Ravvin

LEAH: Lauren Elias

LADY LIBERTY: Darya Denisova

LIESL JOSEPH/WOMAN WITH CHILD: Rimma Gluzman

GISELA KLEPL: Polina Vikova

YOUNG LIESL & GISELA: Esther Golyak & Elizabeth Sarytchev

FRITZ BUFF: Alex Petetsky

FIRA: Julia Shikh

MARIK: Misha Tyutyunik

MARIK’S ASSISTANT: Jenya Brodskaia

ANNA: Anna Furman

OLGA: Olga Aronova

VIKA/BRIDE: Vika Kovalenko

JOSEPH: Nathan Malin

RACHEL: Anne Gottlieb

GROOM/RELIGIOUS JEWISH MAN: David Gamarnik

FIRST JEWISH MAN: Boris Furman

SECOND JEWISH MAN/JEWISH HUSBAND: Boris Berdnikov

AMERICAN WIFE: Blair Cadden

CHILD: Elizabeth Sarytchev

CHILD: Jacob Golyak

ISRAELI SOLDIER: Esther Golyak

ENSEMBLE: Polina Vaserman, Nana Ghukasyan, Kendyl Trott

See our WITNESS Playbill

Team

Conceived and Directed by Igor Golyak

Produced by Sara Stackhouse

Playwright, Nana Grinstein

Additional scripting, Blair Cadden & Igor Golyak

Dramaturg/Assistant Director, Blair Cadden

Scenography & Costume Design, Anna Fedorova

Virtual Design, Daniel Cormino

Technical Director, Johan Folke

Sound Design, Victor Semenov

Studio Sound Consultant, Clive Goodwin

Director of Photography/Editor, Anton Nikolaev

Cinematographer, Austin de Besche

Properties Master, Irina Vilenchik

Properties Assistant, Olga Aronova

Wardrobe Manager, Marissa Wolf

Wardrobe Assistant, Natasha Mitlina

Hair & Makeup, Anna Furman

Assistant Technical Director, Brian Farrell

Stage Manager, Kendyl Trott

Graphic Design, Sandra Cohen | Bird Graphics

PR, Darren DeLuca

Box Office & Front of House, Marianna Golyak

Intern, Emma Resek

Past Productions