“Our Class” extends performances

Our Class, the award-winning play by Tadeusz Słobodzianek, currently running at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Fisher Fishman Space (321 Ashland Place, Brooklyn) has extended its limited run thru February 11. Our Class is directed by Igor Golyak (The Orchard; Just Tell No One; State vs. Natasha Banina), produced by MART Foundation and Arlekin Players Theatre, and was an official selection of the Under The Radar Festival.

The cast of Our Class features Gus Birney (The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window) as Dora, Andrey Burkovskiy (Call DiCaprio!) as Menachem, José Espinosa (Take Me Out) as Rysiek, Tess Goldwyn (New Amsterdam) as Zocha, Will Manning (As Reaper in the Summer Gain) as Heniek, Stephen Ochsner (Chicks) as Jakub Katz, Alexandra Silber (Fiddler on the Roof) as Rachelka/Marianna, Richard Topol (Indecent; The Normal Heart) as Abram, Ilia Volok (Gemini Man, The Gaaga) as Władek and Elan Zafir (Hedda Gabler) as Zygmunt.Our Class is based on real events, and follows 10 classmates — five Jewish and five Catholic — as they grow up as playmates, friends and neighbors, then turn on one another with life and death consequences. Inspired by real life events surrounding a horrific 1941 pogrom in the small village of Jedwabne, Poland, the play follows their lives from childhood through eight decades in a contemporary new production, directed by Jewish, Ukrainian-born director Igor Golyak.

The piece comes at a time when the world is facing an increase in antisemitism across the globe and is witnessing horrific wars in Ukraine and Israel. Our Class brings the audience on a journey with ten young people — classmates — as they move from love and friendship during wartime into unthinkable acts of antisemitism, hatred and violence. It is an exploration of humanity, an effort to comprehend who we are. What would we do, and what will we do, in this situation? Who do we become in the face of past and current aggression? What are we capable of and ultimately how can we live in the face of these realities?

The creative team, like the cast, brings together artists from New York and across the world, including scenic designer Jan Pappelbaum of the Schaubheune, сostume design by Sasha Ageeva, lighting design by Adam Silverman, music by Oscar® winner Anna Drubich(Navalny), sound design by Ben Williams, projections design by Eric Dunlap, hair & makeup design by Timur Sadykov, and dramaturgy by Dr. Rachel Merrill Moss. Kyra Bowie is the production stage manager. Helmed by Golyak, this cross-cultural collaboration between actors, designers, producers, artists and technicians is an effort to untangle traumas of the past and wrestle with these same questions of today. Our Class is co-executive produced by MART’s Sofia Kapkova and Arlekin’s Sara Stackhouse.

“When we started working on Our Class a year ago, our small team believed in it and knew it was timely,” said Igor Golyak. “But now…now to be embraced by New York audiences, Under the Radar Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York actors and press…it’s a potent and humbling affirmation. Unfortunately, antisemitism is a light sleeper, and in light of the events of October 7 and an exponential rise in antisemitism everywhere, Our Classilluminates something vividly in this critical moment. It’s a powerful experience for us and much more than a play. I’m thrilled we can extend and share Our Class with more people. We love New York and hope you will come see us.”
Our Class will be accompanied by a series of in person author’s talks, special events and multimedia initiatives designed to engage communities, young people, and audiences in exploration and dialogue about the human consequences of war, antisemitism, immigrant experience, identity, empathy, and our shared humanity.

Tickets are available on the official website, and run $59-$129. Our Class plays Tuesdays at 7:00pm, Wednesdays at 7:00pm, Thursdays at 7:00pm, Fridays at 7:00pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2pm.

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CREDITS
Written by Tadeusz Słobodzianek
Adapted by Norman Allen
Directed by Igor Golyak
Scenic Design Jan Pappelbaum
Costume Design Sasha Ageeva
Lighting Design Adam Silverman
Sound Design Ben Williams
Projection Design Eric Dunlap
Composer Anna Drubich
Music Director Lisa Gutkin
Chalk Drawing Design Andreea Mincic
Choreographer Or Schraiber
Hair & Makeup Design Timur Sadykov
Intimacy & Violence Design Leanna Gardella
Dramaturg Dr. Rachel Merrill Moss
Scenic & Properties Associate Josh Oberlander
Costume Associate Matsy Stinson
German-English Translator Julia Stratmann
Firearm Consultant Rick Sordelet
Assistant Director Rebecca Miller
Assistant Stage Managers Rachael Wilkin and Ashton Pickering
Production Assistant Kelley Lynne Moncrief
Technical Director, Cameras/New Technology Igor Golyak
QLab Programmer & Video Associate Leanna Keyes/Transcend Streaming
Press Representative Keith Sherman & Associates Scott Klein, Brett Oberman, Logan Metzler
Public Relations (Boston) Luca PR
Marketing Manager Anna Rylnikova
Graphic Design Gosha Chubukin
Casting Consultants Stephanie Klapper & Hershey Millner/Klapper Casting
Arlekin General Manager Mark Soucy
Associate Producer/Company Manager Anastasia Gudkova
Production Manager Neal Wilkinson
Production Stage Manager Kyra Bowie
General Management Martin Platt/Perry Street Theatricals
Executive Producers Sofia Kapkova & Sara Stackhouse

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Arlekin Players Theatre
Arlekin Players Theatre was founded by Ukrainian-born artistic director Igor Golyak in 2009 and launched its (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab in 2020. Most recently, Arlekin produced The Orchard featuring Jessica Hecht and Mikhail Baryshnikov both off-Broadway in New York and in Boston, The Gaaga, US premiere, by Ukrainian playwright Sasha Denisova, and Just Tell No One at Lincoln Center with Bill Irwin, Jessica Hecht and David Krumholz in partnership with the Worldwide Ukrainian Play Readings project. Arlekin received worldwide acclaim, including two New York Times Critics Picks, for their virtual projects during the pandemic, including WITNESS, State vs Natasha Banina, and chekhovOS /an experimental game/ featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov as Anton Chekhov. Arlekin has received numerous awards including multiple Elliot Norton Awards from the Boston Theater Critics Association, including The Stone, The Seagull, The Orchard, and a Special Citation for innovation during the pandemic. A company of immigrants, Arlekin has toured internationally, and performs works that explore identity, culture, antisemitism, home, belonging, tradition, and finding common humanity and themes that unite us. The company makes its home in Needham, MA.

MART Foundation
MART Foundation is an American nonprofit organization that produces and supports contemporary performing arts programs globally. With a special focus on co-productions, MART co-produced the re-staging of Sharon Eyal’s ‘Sara’ for New York-based Gibney Company, Kirill Serebrennikov’s ‘Outside’ with The Avignon Festival, and a digital version of the ‘Song of Songs’ (SOS) cantata for the Baryshnikov Art Center. MART presented several music concerts at Carnegie Hall, supported a new premieres program at the Israel Festival, and the tour of NDT 2 in Israel. Currently, MART is producing Akram Khan’s first full-length duet with renowned artists from the world of classical ballet. By curating an inventive and varied arts program, MART strives to showcase the very best of contemporary theater, music, and dance.www.ourclassplay.com