A Russian-American community center serving the Capital Region of New York State.Our goal is to introduce, celebrate and promote traditional Russian arts and culture to the community.
A Russian-American community center serving the Capital Region of New York State.Our goal is to introduce, celebrate and promote traditional Russian arts and culture to the community.
The purpose of the Russian Drama Club "Dual Voices Theatre" is to educate and foster an appreciation for the theater arts among residents in the Capital Region of New York State. We provide encouragement for all levels of volunteer involvement and recognize their contributions as crucial to the success of the Russian Drama Club productions. We provide a supportive environment where everyone is welcome, regardless of skill level, ability, or background. Volunteers are essential to the success of the Russian Drama Club.
2024-2025 Production of "Letter to God” by Ukrainian writer Anatoly Crym from his series “Stories about Jewish Happiness”. Show in Russian: December 21, 2024. Shows in English: December 2024 & March 30 2025.
This project is made possible with funds from the Schenectady Foundation.
Robert Willard, director - an Albany native is trained in theater directing and theater pedagogy from the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts (RGISI) in Saint Petersburg, Russia, under Veniamin Filshtinsky, a leading practitioner of the Stanislavsky method and the "etude method" of devised theater. In RGISI, Robert performed as Telegin in Uncle Vanya, by Anton Chekhov and Romeo in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Robert specializes in duo-lingual theater, having directed Russian-English adaptations of Midsummer Night's Dream, Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, and Shwarz's Snow Queen. He also led a laboratory in English-speaking theater with English City. In Uzbekistan, Robert directed a series of local-language ecological plays in remote areas affected by climate change with the World Aral Region Charity, Saigak Conservation Alliance and Animated Ecologies. In the US, Robert participated in the legendary Columbia University Varsity Show and has acting and set design experience with the Penn Singers Light Opera Company, Stimulus Children's Theater, CU Players, and New Opera Workshop in Morningside Heights.
Leonid Polishchuk, violinist is a graduate of the Ippolitov-Ivanov Music College of Moscow. Russia, receiving his master's degree at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory. He has performed with orchestras and taught at the Gnesin Music College and the Ippolitov-Ivanov College, both in Moscow. In the U.S. Leonid continues to perform, as well as teach. He coaches students of the College Youth Symphony orchestra at SUNY New Paltz and also teaches both violin and viola in his New Paltz and Schenectady studio. Leonid plays the violin made by a member of Groblicz violin-makers (Krakow, Poland ca.1600). The trademark of the Groblicz violin is a carved dragon's head instead of a scroll.
English Version of "Letter to God"
Production 2023-2024 "Once Upon a Time in Anatevka", director Andrey Kuznetsov
The project is centered on the presentation of "Memorial Prayer/Once Upon a Time in Anatevka" based on Grigory Gorin's play Memorial Prayer (written based on the story "Tevye the Milkman" by Sholom Aleichem) in duo-language adaptations for both English and Russian-speaking audiences. Grigory Gorin was a renowned Soviet playwright and screenwriter known for his works that often explored Jewish themes and history.
"Memorial Prayer/Once Upon a Time in Anatevka" is a moving and enlightening theatrical production that seeks to raise awareness, provoke introspection, and inspire positive change. By commemorating the victims of antisemitism and shedding light on its historical and contemporary manifestations, the play aims to foster empathy, understanding, and unity in the ongoing fight against prejudice.
Dress rehearsal on March 3 2024 (Russian Cast)
Dress rehearsal on March 1 2024 (English Cast)
2021-2022 Production - “Berdichev". Unsentimental story of Soviet Jews after the Holocaust.
In 2021-2022 the New Russia Cultural Center presented the theatrical production of the “Berdichev/Family That Never Was” play to local residents in the Capital Region. The “Family That Never Was” project is centered on the presentation of Friedrich Gorenstein's play "Berdichev". The shows took place at Neil and Jane Golub Theater @ Adeline Wright Graham Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady, located at 104 Education Drive, Schenectady, NY 12303.
“This project was made possible with funds from the Decentralization Grant program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Arts Center of the Capital Region.”
The play presents 30 years in the everyday life of a Jewish family after the Holocaust (1945 to 1975), as two sisters, Rachel and Golda, guide their family through hard years of poverty and strife. It is an unsentimental story about post-Holocaust Jews, separated from their culture, history, and people, who nonetheless survive through laughter and tears.
The intended aim of performing Berdichev is to give the audience a broader perception of themselves, immersing them in a different time and culture to instill new insights into history and human connections across time. In addition, we hope to use this opportunity to generate a collaborative community effort that might renew awareness of the Holocaust to a younger generation of Americans and help examine its impact on twenty-first-century life.
As a sneak peek into the show, you can see some stage photos. Tickets are online only! Don't forget to keep your tickets handy, either in the Eventbrite app or print them out and bring them with you. Face masks must be worn. The show on Friday, January 21 is FREE of charge. Register your free tickets online before the show, no tickets are available at the door. To implement social distancing limiting seating will be placed. The theater’s layout will be changed to ensure that all attendees' parties remain at least 6ft apart. Admission is free; donations are appreciated!Editorial article about Berdichev Show at The Spotlight News 518
Michael Hallisey, managing editor of Spotlight Newspapers recently wrote an article about the Berdichev theatrical project. You can read it here.
The American cast starts rehearsing at the Golub theater
On January 12 the American cast had preliminary dress rehearsing in the Neil and Jane Golub Theater with a focus on costume issues. This is an opportunity to correct any remaining costume and tech issues.
Tech Rehearsal 
No one needs to act -- this rehearsal is for the tech staff. On the technical rehearsal on January 6 Oleg, artistic director, with Bruce Coonley, Lighting director at Proctor's Theatre, and some members of the cast walked through the entire show in performance order, making sure every light cue and sound effect worked as planned. This means stopping hundreds of times to make adjustments.
Berdichev project: On Thursday 28 October 2021, we had the first meeting of the actors with the director Oleg Golub. It was a reading of the 1st act of the play. Oleg explained his impressive directorial plan for staging the play and proposed a new title for the play “The Family that never was/Семья которой не было”. ( We are not sure that it’s the best translation from Russian). There was the distribution of the roles. Several major roles were still available for men and women.
Berdichev project: Russian cast starts rehearsing
On Monday, November 1st, 2021 the Russian cast started rehearsing with artistic director Oleg Golub. The rehearsal time for Oleg is 5 hours straight. Actors are practicing only for 1 hour for the episodes they are in.
Berdichev project: American cast starts rehearsing
On Monday, November 15th, two weeks later the Russian team, Americancast started rehearsing with artistic director Oleg Golub. The location was changed. One member of the Russian-speaking community (who wants to be incognito) provided for the play production recently bought a house in downtown Albany. The house is empty, and warm with a large bright room suitable for practicing. Thank you!
Berdichev project: stage props. Props are the items held or used by actors onstage to make the action more realistic. Berdichev's show does not have many props but for staging a drama it is really necessary to have some. To identify a particular time, place, and cultural setting in the play a few set props are needed: a wooden table 8-10ft long, wooden old chairs, old suitcases, and old leather shoes (men, ladies, and kids). If you could provide these props for the show; it would be greatly appreciated. We are already very thankful to Sofia Stolkarts for providing the Russian fur hat with earflaps (ушанка), and to Anton Pasquvel for the vintage patephone (phonograph) and retro radio receiver. Alik Gans made a prop lamp; he painted and electrified it.
The purpose of the Russian Drama Club is to educate and foster an appreciation for the theater arts among the Russian-speaking community in the Capital Region of New York State. Preserve, enrich, and celebrate the use of the Russian language as a vehicle of cultural communication and understanding.
We provide encouragement for all levels of volunteer involvement and recognize their contributions as crucial to the success of the Russian Drama Club productions. We provide a supportive environment where everyone is welcome, regardless of skill level, ability, or background. Volunteers are essential to the success of the Russian Drama Club.
Production 2015: "Victory Day" Artistic Director Yuri Numkin
Production 2016: "New Yera's Tircks of Baba Yaga" Artistic Director Yuri Numkin
Production 2017: "Baba Yaga Against It" Artistic Director Yuri Numkin
Production 2018 "Love and Doves" by V. Gurkin, Artistic Director Yuri Numkin.
Russian Theater Festival 2019, Toronto, Canada.
"Love and Doves". Director Yuri Naumkin
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Aplication for membership is open to any individual that support the purpose of our organization: to celebrate, introduce and promote traditional Russian arts, language and culture to the community.
Simply complete the Applicant Form. 
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Join us as we have a great time analyzing the books and hanging out with friends. Treat yourself to a glass of wine and tasty refreshments.
November - "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands"by Jorge Amado