Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Alexander Molochnikov’s pointed production of SEAGULL: TRUE STORY works marvelously on multiple levels

• By drediman
• May 21, 2025
• No Comments

On Monday night, Russian theater and film director Alexander Molochnikov’s pointed production of Seagull: True Story opened at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village. The piece is both adapted from Chekhov’s warhorse play The Seagull and based on Molochnikov’s own bout with censorship when he publicly spoke out against Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine in 2022. The act resulted in the award winning director fleeing to the United States, where he has had to reinvent himself as an artist (think of the production as a sort of kin to Stew’s singular musical Passing Strange, except with a swapping of locations).

Although directed and conceived by Molochnikov, the loose adaptation was actually written by Detroit-based artist Eli Rarey, who is likely responsible for bringing a more American sensibility to the script (particularly in the second act) — helping to balance out Molochnikov’s predominant background as a Russian artist — as well as establishing less of a first hand, autobiographical bent to the work (in the play, the character of Kon is the stand in for Molochnikov). Taking place entirely in Russia, the first act finds Kon staging a production of The Seagull at a prestigious and well-funded theater. When the troubles commence, his prospects as an outspoken artist start to look grim, and the act culminates in Kon’s escape to America. Almost immediately upon his stateside arrival, Molochnikov and Rarey begin cleverly layering the plot of Chekhov’s play onto Kon’s efforts to establish himself as a downtown theater-maker — once again attempting to stage The Seagull, this time in a scrappy, avant-garde version — and his conflicted feelings about his past and homeland, largely manifested in the character of his mother Olga, an aging diva of the Russian stage. The treatment brings refreshing new motivation and context to Chekhov’s play.

Given that Seagull: True Story marks Molochnikov’s own Off-Broadway debut at one of the city’s most recognizable incubators of experimental theater, there’s more than a small hint of meta-theatricality that pervades the piece. However, thanks to Molochnikov’s keen and often inspired sense of theatricality and Rarey’s smart writing — which works marvelously on multiple levels — the overlay only minimally come across heavy-handedly. As Kon, Eric Tabach comes across as immensely likeable in a role that can easily be grating. Also terrific are downtown stalwarts Zuzanna Szadkowski as Olga and character actor Elan Zafir in various roles. But perhaps best of all is Andrey Burkovskiy as, effectively, the play’s gleefully caustic, somewhat menacing emcee, who drives and comments on the proceedings with ample personality and alluring physicality (much like the Emcee does in Cabaret).

RECOMMENDED

SEAGULL: TRUE STORY
Off-Broadway, Play
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in association with MART Foundation and En Garde Arts
2 hours, 15 minutes (including an intermission)
Through June 1