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 Dual voices Theatre.
2024 Production "Letter to God"
The project consists STAGED READING AND FEATURED SCENES OF A PLAY. (A staged reading is a rehearsed read-through of a script, performed in front of a seated audience.) The play “Letter to God” is based on the story of Ukrainian writer Anatoly Crym from his series “Stories about Jewish Happiness”. The project uses the talent of artistic director Robert Willard and aptness of local community actors.
Ukraine 1947. Yankel Lemares, is a man who lost his wife and children during the war. He diligently writes letters for the Almighty. In his letter, he asks Him for a 50-ruble gift for Jewish Passover. However, the message does not reach the recipient and falls into the hands of the police chief. The letter unexpectedly touches his soul. As the narrative unfolds, audiences are drawn into a world where faith, love, and fate intertwine to create a pognant tapestry of human experiences.
"Dual Voices Theatre" Productions Dates 2025 for “Letter to God”:
Show in English
Date: Sunday March 30 2025
Time: 3pm - 4pm
Where: Schenectady JCC 0 Auditorium, 2565 Balltown Rd, Schenectady, NY
Admission: Free, donations welcome
"Dual Voices Theatre" Productions Dates 2024 for “Letter to God”:
Show in Russian
Date: Saturday December 21 2024
Time: 3pm - 4pm
Where: Dreamlights Studio in Viaport Mall, 93 W Campbell Rd, Rotterdam, NY 12306
Admission: Free, donations welcome
Show in English
Date: Sunday December 22 2024
Time: 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Where: Schenectady Public Library, 99 Clinton, Schenectady, NY 12305
Admission: Free, donations welcome
The Production Team
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.
Growing up in Albany, NY, Robert has experience with local theater groups like Park Playhouse, Theater Without a Net and Steamer 10.
In this staged reading, Robert looks to explore how a dual language production can help actors discover more depth in the text.
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.
Set Design - Robert Willard
Costuming - Brian Goodman, Bill Wilday, Tanya Deptola
Advertsin /Publisity - Tanya Deptola
Calling all Enthusiastic Community Members!
A poster advertising play” Letter to God” is attached. The poster includes title of the shows, venues, dates, and admission information. Help us to promote the show - print and give it to your friends, post it in some public places as an advertisement!
Be a part of our production team! Props are the items held or used by actors onstage to make the action more realistic. To identify a particular time, place and cultural setting in our play a few set props are needed: 1 or 2 tin buckets, 2 metal candlesticks, and a banknote similar to a Russian ruble. We are already very thankful to Brian Goodman for providing the Soviet military uniforms, to Bill Willday for militia cap.
Together, we can transport our audience back in time and create a truly captivating production. If you could help with props, please email us back or contact Tanya Deptola at 518-382-9438.
Dress rehearsal on December 16 2024 (Russian Cast)
This project is made possible with funds from the Schenectady Foundation.
2023-2024 Production "Once Upon a Time in Anatevka"
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.
"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.
In the town of Anatevka Russians, Ukrainians and Jews coexist despite their cultural and religious differences. Anateevka is also the home of Tevye, a poor Jewish dairyman. He’s an ordinary, wise man who often turns to God, and his family has five daughters, three of whom are of marriageable age... The "Once Upon a Time in Anateevka" is imbued with archaic Jewish wisdom and unique humor that is both sad and amusing – of the kind that allows one to overcome inhuman difficulties.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Arts Center of the Capital Region.
Our Sponsors:
Dress rehearsal on March 3 2024 (Russian Cast)
Dress rehearsal on March 1 2024 (English Cast)
The intended aim of performing "Once Upon a Time in Anateevka” 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 antisemitism to a younger generation of Americans and help examine its impact on twenty-first-century life.
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.”
Berdichev is a city in Central Ukraine where Nazi invaders, intent on genocide during the Second World War, eliminated the entire Jewish population. Following the Holocaust, Gorenstein witnessed the decline and diminishment of Jewish culture and character in Soviet society. He selected Berdichev as a symbolic Jewish town for the play and based the characters on his own family and memories.
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.
Theatrical project Berdichev
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 distancinglimiting 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.
The Russian cast does a table read
On Thursday, October 28 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.
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.
American cast started rehearsing
On Monday, November 15th, two weeks later the Russian team, and 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!
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. Thank you, Alik!
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.
The Russian Drama Studio at the New Russia Cultural Center was established in 2013 with theatrical performances for children for “Morozko” and “Microscope” for adult audiences. Yuri Naumkin became an artistic director of the Russian Drama Studio in 2014. His artistic direction and artistic talent brought production success to two other plays. One of them, “Tale of Tsar Saltan”, is a one-act play based on the poem by Alexander Pushkin, and performed for a children’s audience in December 2014 at the Mohawk Golf Club, Schenectady, NY. Second, was a musical/theatrical performance, “Victory Day”, devoted to the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of World War II, and performed in May 2015 at Union College, Schenectady, NY. Both plays had local media coverage with photos in the Times Union, Daily Gazette, and other local newspapers. In Fall 2015 Yuri was directing another play for children, the “New Year Tricks of Baba Yaga”. In 2016 he directed a bilingual play "Love and Doves" for the general public. In 2017 "New Year Miracles" shown for children during an Annual Yolka Celebration. The 2018 production 'Morozko" had 2 premieres on January 5th and 6th 2019.
Cultural experience by watching authentic Russian plays
"Tsar Saltan" by A. Pushkin, Artistic Director Yuri Numkin. December, 2014
"Love and Doves" by V. Gurkin, Artistic Director Yuri Numkin. May 15, 2018
2013 Morozko production photos.
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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 Dual voices Theatre.
2024 Production "Letter to God"
Ukraine 1947. Yankel Lemares, is a man who lost his wife and children during the war. He diligently writes letters for the Almighty. In his letter, he asks Him for a 50-ruble gift for Jewish Passover. However, the message does not reach the recipient and falls into the hands of the police chief. The letter unexpectedly touches his soul. As the narrative unfolds, audiences are drawn into a world where faith, love, and fate intertwine to create a pognant tapestry of human experiences.
"Dual Voices Theatre" Productions Dates 2025 for “Letter to God”:
Show in English
Date: Sunday March 30 2025
Time: 3pm - 4pm
Where: Schenectady JCC 0 Auditorium, 2565 Balltown Rd, Schenectady, NY
Admission: Free, donations welcome
"Dual Voices Theatre" Productions Dates 2024 for “Letter to God”:
Show in Russian
Date: Saturday December 21 2024
Time: 3pm - 4pm
Where: Dreamlights Studio in Viaport Mall, 93 W Campbell Rd, Rotterdam, NY 12306
Admission: Free, donations welcome
Show in English
Date: Sunday December 22 2024
Time: 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Where: Schenectady Public Library, 99 Clinton, Schenectady, NY 12305
Admission: Free, donations welcome
The Production Team
Calling all Enthusiastic Community Members!
A poster advertising play” Letter to God” is attached. The poster includes title of the shows, venues, dates, and admission information. Help us to promote the show - print and give it to your friends, post it in some public places as an advertisement!
Be a part of our production team! Props are the items held or used by actors onstage to make the action more realistic. To identify a particular time, place and cultural setting in our play a few set props are needed: 1 or 2 tin buckets, 2 metal candlesticks, and a banknote similar to a Russian ruble. We are already very thankful to Brian Goodman for providing the Soviet military uniforms, to Bill Willday for militia cap.
Together, we can transport our audience back in time and create a truly captivating production. If you could help with props, please email us back or contact Tanya Deptola at 518-382-9438.
This project is made possible with funds from the Schenectady Foundation.
2023-2024 Production "Once Upon a Time in Anatevka"
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.
In the town of Anatevka Russians, Ukrainians and Jews coexist despite their cultural and religious differences. Anateevka is also the home of Tevye, a poor Jewish dairyman. He’s an ordinary, wise man who often turns to God, and his family has five daughters, three of whom are of marriageable age... The "Once Upon a Time in Anateevka" is imbued with archaic Jewish wisdom and unique humor that is both sad and amusing – of the kind that allows one to overcome inhuman difficulties.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Arts Center of the Capital Region.
Our Sponsors:
Dress rehearsal on March 3 2024 (Russian Cast)
Dress rehearsal on March 1 2024 (English Cast)
The intended aim of performing "Once Upon a Time in Anateevka” 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 antisemitism to a younger generation of Americans and help examine its impact on twenty-first-century life.
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.”
Berdichev is a city in Central Ukraine where Nazi invaders, intent on genocide during the Second World War, eliminated the entire Jewish population. Following the Holocaust, Gorenstein witnessed the decline and diminishment of Jewish culture and character in Soviet society. He selected Berdichev as a symbolic Jewish town for the play and based the characters on his own family and memories.
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.
Theatrical project Berdichev
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 distancinglimiting 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.
On Thursday, October 28 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.
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.
American cast started rehearsing
On Monday, November 15th, two weeks later the Russian team, and 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!
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. Thank you, Alik!
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.
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