Arlekin Players Theatre

ARLEKIN PLAYERS THEATRE IS A COMPANY OF IMMIGRANTS, ROOTED IN TRADITIONS OF CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN THEATER. WE ARE DEDICATED TO PASSIONATE, IMAGINATIVE STORYTELLING AND NEW FORMS OF THEATER, PERFORMED IN ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN. WE SEEK TO BUILD CONNECTIONS AND CREATE SHARED HUMAN EXPERIENCE ACROSS CULTURES BY CREATING POWERFUL IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL THEATER PRODUCTIONS THAT AFFECT AND CHALLENGE DIVERSE AUDIENCES, WITH A SPECIAL COMMITMENT TO THE RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE COMMUNITY.

ORCHARD EXPERIENCE THERE WERE TWO RUNS OF THE ORCHARD, WHICH WAS BOTH LIVE IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL. IT WAS PRODUCED THROUGH ARLEKIN IN NEW YORK IN FY22. THEN, IN FY23, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 2022 ENHANCEMENT AGREEMENT ARLEKIN HAD WITH GROUNDSWELL PRODUCTIONS, GROUNDSWELL RETAINED THE RIGHTS AND CREATED A NEW LLC TO MANAGE ANY SUBSEQUENT PERFORMANCES AS A FOR-PROFIT ENTITY. THE ORCHARD LLC, THIS ENTITY, WHICH WAS THEN ABLE TO TAKE ON COMMERCIAL INVESTORS. ARLEKIN INVESTED 50K INTO ORCHARD LLC FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT PRODUCTIONS, AND ARLEKIN WAS ALSO CONTRACTED TO DO PRE-PRODUCTION WORK FOR A NOVEMBER 2022 BOSTON RUN FOR A FEE OF 20,000. THE INNOVATIVE WORK WAS HAILED BY AUDIENCES AND CRITICS AND HAD IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE OF 5,386; USING ARLEKIN'S INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE PERFORMANCES WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDED ONLINE TO 1,322 WORLDWIDE. THE PRODUCTION WON AN ELLIOT NORTON AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DESIGN.

CLASSES ARLEKIN OFFERS ACTING CLASSES FOR NEW AND ADVANCED STUDENTS TO TRAIN IN PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUES AND A WORKSHOP (CLOWNING) FOR THE COMPANY MEMBERS.

THE GAAGA IN RESPONSE TO RUSSIA'S INVASION OF UKRAINE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ARLEKIN COMPANY MEMBERS WHO LARGELY EMIGRATED FROM THAT REGION, ARLEKIN COMMISSIONED A NEW PLAY FROM UKRAINIAN-BORN SASHA DENISOVA, A REFUGEE FROM THE WAR, LIVING IN POLAND. THE US PREMIERE PUT PUTIN AND HIS CRONIES ON TRIAL AS IMAGINED BY A YOUNG GIRL. ARLEKIN USED THE ABANDONED BEAT BREW HALL RESTAURANT IN HARVARD SQUARE AND CONVERTED IT INTO A BOMB SHELTER. IN-PERSON AUDIENCES TOTALED 1,371 AND, SIMULTANEOUSLY, IT REACHED 304 PEOPLE ONLINE WORLDWIDE

ARLEKIN'S ZERO-G LAB ZERO-G IS AN EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORY WORKING WITH ARTISTS IN THE VIRTUAL SPACE TO CREATE AND INTEGRATE ANIMATION, GAMING TECH, AND LIVE THEATRE. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR ARLEKIN'S VIRTUAL WORK, WHICH IN FY23 INCLUDED THE BOSTON RUN OF THE ORCHARD, JUST TELL NO ONE AT LINCOLN CENTER, AND THE GAAGA.