Click on any name in this program to read their bio
CAST
CREATIVE TEAM
*Indicates member of AEA, Actors' Equity Association
**Indicates member of SDC, The Stage Directors & Choreographers Society
++Indicates member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE
PRODUCTION TEAM
STAGE CREW
PRESS & MARKETING
The Production will run 80 Minutes | There is no intermission
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
Ionesco’s Frenzy for Two (Délire à deux) is rarely performed. I’m guessing that, like me, you have never seen it. Most of us will be watching it together for the first time with this world premiere adaptation. Writing in France in the late 1950s in the aftermath of WWII, Ionesco’s plays reckon with the alienation of that period – the sense that the world had turned upside down, was siphoned of meaning, and neither human nature nor language itself was to be trusted. Along with Samuel Beckett and others, Ionesco was a pioneer of ‘theatre of the absurd.’
Sometimes the most profound truths about our present moment come disguised as yesterday’s absurdities. This is a play that has been waiting for us — for our moment, our world, our collective delirium. Its language might sound absurd and you might struggle to identify a plot, but I think you will find deep resonance and a strong sense of humanity beneath the words.
I chose this play specifically for Chulpan and Andrey and added material from Ionesco’s journals and stories written for his young daughter. At its simplest, it is about a couple trying to survive in a world that is collapsing. Chulpan and Andrey, having left Russia at the height of their careers and the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, know something about this. They carry within their bodies the entire architecture of a lost world. The turtle and the snail in Ionesco’s text — creatures who carry their homes with them — are more than metaphor in the hands of displaced artists.
But you don’t have to be displaced to relate to the slings and arrows, big and small, that face us all, and the sometimes absurd coping strategies we concoct. My hope is that this is the play you didn’t know you needed and that you will carry it with you, like the turtle or snail, long after the lights come up.
— Igor Golyak
WHO'S WHO
Please Support Our Sponsors
About
Founded in 2009 by Igor Golyak, Arlekin Players Theatre is a company of immigrants dedicated to transforming the stage into a site for radical empathy and communal belonging. Through its (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab, the company pioneered a new genre of digital performance that reached audiences in over 55 countries. By reinventing classical texts through a contemporary lens and a Zero Gravity methodology, –ARLEKIN! creates immersive experiences that treat audiences as active witnesses to stories of displacement, heritage, and the universal search for identity.
The company's innovative approach earned widespread acclaim during the 2024–2025 season with its production of OUR CLASS. Following a sold-out run at BAM and an encore residency at Classic Stage Company, the production swept the 2025 Lucille Lortel Awards with four wins, including Outstanding Revival and Outstanding Director. By blending European rigor with the immigrant experience, –ARLEKIN! continues to redefine American theater as a vital space for personal and cultural transformation — a theatre of questions.
SUPPORT OUR WORK ↗
This ambitious production also comes with an ambitious budget — two internationally acclaimed actors, a bold new adaptation, and complex multimedia staging. Will you make a tax-deductible gift today in support of this powerful production? Help us Fuel the Frenzy!
FUEL THE FRENZY!
ARLEKIN STAFF & BOARD
Staff
Board of Directors
Co-Chairs: Rimma Gluzman & Kevin Jennings
Treasurer: Viktoria Kovalenko
Secretary: John Terrance Murphy
Marianna Golyak · Igor Golyak · Anna Goncharova · Dr. Barbara Wallace Grossman · Konstantin Mikhailov · Gene Ravvin · Amy Slaughter · Robert Thurer
"DELIRIUM" WAS MADE POSSIBLE WITH SUPPORT BY
Mandel
Billy Rose Foundation · Newcastle Foundation · Somekh Family Foundation
ARLEKIN'S SUPPORTERS
Amy and Morton Friedkin · Anna Goncharova · Anonymous · Arcadia Foundation · Barbara & Steven Grossman · Chaiken Family Foundation · Craig Balsam · Dan Maydan · Dare Foundation · David Baird · Dmitry Fonarev · Douglas & Judith Krupp · Eli and Britt Harari · Fooksman Family Charitable Fund · George & Elizabeth Krupp · Gloria and Ken Levy · Israel & Noga Niv · James Ellis · Jay Cohen · Jennie Jadow · Judith Bohn · Kairat Boranbayev · Ken Levitan · Libitsky Family Foundation · Lilia Gorshteyn · Marina Salzman · Mark and Debra Leslie · MART Foundation · Meryll Zegar · Patrick Catullo · Phyllis & Harvey Baumann · Rimma Gluzman · Robert & Shari Thurer · Robert Macdonald · Roll and Chaiken Foundation · Ruth Hendel · Sara Stackhouse · Sarah Hancock · Seth & Beth Klarman · Soderberg Efron Family Fund · Somekh Family Foundation · Steve Buchanan · Taube Family Foundation · Valentine Talland & Nagesh Mahanthappa · Victor & Inessa Rifkin · Yuri Rabover
SPECIAL THANKS
Sara Stackhouse for pre-production support, Sabrina Blais at Barcelona Wine Bar, Triple G Scaffolding, the Huntington, the Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York Theatre Workshop, the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, and the staff, company, and board of -Arlekin!
The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE is the union representing scenic, costume, lighting, sound and projection designers in Live Performance.
THE STANFORD CALDERWOOD PAVILION AT THE BOSTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS
General Information
Location
The Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts is located at 527 Tremont Street, between Berkeley and Clarendon Streets.
Ticketing Services
617-933-8600 · BostonTheatreScene.com · boxoffice@bostontheatrescene.com
Generally open Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm to curtain (or 6pm); Sunday, 12pm to curtain (or 4pm). Hours change weekly — for the most up-to-date hours, visit BostonTheatreScene.com or call Ticketing Services.
Emergencies & Lost and Found
Emergencies during performances: 617-933-8608. Lost and found: 617-933-8608.
Code of Respect
The staff of The Huntington is dedicated to making our venues a welcoming place for all in our community. Your identity, your background, and your ability will be honored in this space. Read the full Code of Respect at huntingtontheatre.org.
Public Transportation
We encourage patrons to use public transportation whenever possible. The Calderwood Pavilion is located near the MBTA Green Line Copley or Arlington Stations; Orange Line/Commuter Rail Back Bay Station; and the Tremont Street & Union Park stop on the #43 Bus, which travels between Park Street and Ruggles Station.
Parking
Parking is available at the Atelier 505 Parking Garage located next to the Pavilion at 505 Tremont Street (entrance on Warren Avenue), the Garage @ 100 Clarendon Street, and other nearby locations. Please note that these parking services are independently owned and operated and are not affiliated with the Calderwood Pavilion.
Refreshments
Snacks, wine, beer, soft drinks, tea, and coffee are available in the lobby. Food and drinks purchased at concessions are permitted inside the theatre. Outside food and drink are prohibited.
Babes in Arms
Children under the age of six are not permitted in the theatres.
Cameras
The use of all cameras and recording devices, including cell phone cameras, in the theatres is strictly prohibited.
Beepers and Cellular Phones
Please remember to silence all watches, pagers, and cell phones during the performance.
Smoking
Smoking is not allowed on the premises.
Wheelchair Accessibility
The Calderwood Pavilion is fully accessible and can accommodate both wheelchair and companion seating in the orchestra and mezzanine sections. Please notify us when you purchase your tickets if wheelchair accommodations will be required and confirm arrangements with the House Manager at 617-933-8672.
Hearing Enhancement
The Calderwood Pavilion is equipped with an FM hearing enhancement system. Wired headphones are available free of charge at the coat check or bar in the main lobby for your use during a performance.
Restrooms
All gender restrooms are located in the main lobby and mezzanine lobby. All restrooms are wheelchair-accessible.
Coat Check
Located in the main lobby, typically open seasonally (October – May).
If You Arrive Late
In consideration of our actors and audience members, latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management.
Calderwood Pavilion Rental Information
All Calderwood Pavilion spaces are available for private parties, meetings, and receptions. For more info contact rentals@bostontheatrescene.com or 617-933-8671.
The Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA is operated by The Huntington, and programmed by The Huntington and the Boston Center for the Arts.