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New York Times Critic's Pick

“Ingenious! It left me wanting more…”

The New York Times

New York Times

“Artistically ambitious! Golyak is among the most inventive directors working in the United States”

The New York Times

Igor
Golyak

Director, Live & Virtual Theater
Founder, Arlekin Players Theatre

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THEATER 

WITHOUT

BOUNDARIES

In a world of established conventions, we create theater that defies gravity. I believe in theater as a portal—a space where we transcend the everyday, explore the depths of human experience, and discover new possibilities. My approach is grounded in three essential pillars: beauty, empathy, and meaning.
 

Working at the intersection of cultures and technologies, we craft experiences that bridge worlds—Eastern and Western, traditional and innovative, physical and digital. Our Zero Gravity Laboratory approaches each production as a unique universe with its own laws, bringing together actors, designers, and audiences as co-creators of meaning.

From immersive virtual productions viewed in 55 countries to groundbreaking stage works featuring international artists like Mikhail Baryshnikov and Chulpan Khamatova, our work has been recognized with multiple New York Times Critics' Picks and named among the "Best Theater of 2024" by The Wall Street Journal.
 

Whether directing, teaching, or developing new work, I'm dedicated to creating theater that opens hearts, challenges perceptions, and illuminates our shared humanity in unexpected ways.

Welcome to a space where imagination collides with reality, where the physical and virtual merge, and where together, we can defy the gravity of convention.

 

— Igor Golyak

September 12–November 3, 2024

MART Foundation & ARLEKIN
Classic Stage Company, New York

 

Awards:

  • Drama League Awards Nomination, Outstanding Revival of a Play

  • Drama Desk Awards Nomination, Eric Dunlap, Outstanding Projection and Video Design

  • Outer Critics Circle Awards Nomination, Gus Birney, Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play

Written by Tadeusz Slobodzianek

Adapted by Norman Allen

Directed by Igor Golyak

Scenic Design by Jan Pappelbaum

Costume Design by Sasha Ageeva

Lighting Design by Adam Silverman

Sound Design by Ben Williams

Projections Design by 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 Leana Gardella

Dramaturg Rachel Merrill Moss

Production Manager Britany Coyne

Production Stage Manager Kyra Bowie

Associate Producer Anastasia Gudkova

General Management Martin Platt

Executive Producers Sofia Kapkova & Sara Stackhouse

Produced by MART Foundation & ARLEKIN

Featuring: Gus Birney, Andrey Burkovskiy, José Espinosa, Tess Goldwyn, Will Manning, Stephen Ochsner, Alexandra Silber, Richard Topol, Ilia Volok, and Elan Zafir

FALL 2024
ARLEKIN IN RESIDENCE AT CLASSIC STAGE COMPANY

OUR CLASS
Friends. Enemies. Classmates.
Based on a true story

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THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
A bold new adaptation of Shakespeare's masterpiece

November 22–December 22 2024

MART Foundation & ARLEKIN
Classic Stage Company, New York

Written by William Shakespeare 

Directed and Adapted by Igor Golyak

Scenic Design by Jan Pappelbaum

Costume Design by Sasha Ageeva

Lighting Design by Seth Reiser

Composer/Sound Design by Fedor Zhuravlev

Associate Sound Design by John Gaspar

Projections Design by Igor Golyak

Production Manager John Lant

Production Stage Manager Kyra Bowie

Associate Producer Anastasia Gudkova

General Management Martin Platt

Arlekin General Manager Mark Soucy

Associate Producer Anastasia Gudkova

Executive Producer Sara Stackhouse

Co-Presenter Sofia Kapkova

Produced by MART Foundation & ARLEKIN

Marketing Manager Anna Rylnikova

Graphic Design by Gosha Chubukin

Casting Consultant Stephanie Klapper Casting, C.S.A

Press Keith Sherman & Associates

Featuring: Gus Birney, José Espinosa, Tess Goldwyn, T.R. Knight, Stephen Ochsner, Noah Pacht, Alexandra Silber, Richard Topol, Delilah Napier, and Elan Zafir​​

SPRING 2024
THE DYBBUK
Between two worlds

US Premiere | May 30 – June 23, 2024
ARLEKIN

The Vilna Shul, Boston

 

Written by Roy Chen

Based on the original play by S. Ansky

Adapted by Igor Golyak  with Dr. Rachel Merrill Moss

With additional material from the translation by Joachim Neugroschel

Directed by Igor Golyak

Scenic Design Igor Golyak

with Sasha Kuznetsova

Costume & Properties Design Sasha Ageeva

Lighting Design Jeff Adelberg

Music & Sound Design Fedor Zhuravlev

Stage Managers Christina Monaco & Sarah O’Neill

Produced by Sara Stackhouse

 

Starring Andrey Burkovskiy & Yana Gladkih

Featuring The Arlekin Acting Company

With Guest Artists Deb Martin & Robert Walsh

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Press

Press

"There’s a certain fearlessness to Igor Golyak. This is a director driven to reimagine and deconstruct classic texts, not just stage them."

 

— Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe

"Golyak’s production fuses film, theater, and video game technology to create a new hybrid platform." 

 

— Shana Nys Dambrot, LA Weekly 

"[Golyak] may have very well pioneered a new form of interactive entertainment.“

— Eric Hauter, GamingNexus

"Golyak’s inventive version takes the classic story for a wild ride — and I was thrilled to be on the bus."

 

— Jacquin Sinclair, WBUR/NPR

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