Ukrainian Plays in America

Savage Wonder in collaboration with Michael D. Reisman present readings of short new plays by Ukrainian playwrights about the impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Featuring:

Max Druzhynskyi

Nataliia Maslova

Emma Myers

Carole Penner

Margot Steinberg

Jessie Zarrelli

Nina Sandman

Kiana Duggan Haas

Featured Ukrainian writers include:

Planting an Apple Tree by Iryna Harets. 

A woman cultivates a tree next to her rural home as war creeps closer.

A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War by Olena Astasieva. 

Friends on both sides of the war cope with extreme disruptions.

Explosion by Yuriy Vetkin. 

A wisecracking soldier tries to survive after being wounded in battle.

Ruins by Sasha Sereda. 

A young refugee returns to her destroyed home and confronts her naïve pre-war self.

Metrosexuals by Tetiana Kytsenko. 

With a simple gesture a woman consoles a soldier carrying the body of his dead comrade off the battlefield.

Michael D. Reisman has worked as an actor, director, stage manager, producer, and playwright at theatres big and small, including American Conservatory Theatre, California Shakespeare Festival, Lincoln Center Theatre Directors’ Lab, and Misery Loves Company (Prague). He has created plays in hospitals and homeless shelters, and taught drama therapy workshops in the U.S., Ireland, Czechia, Poland, Serbia, Montenegro, and in Ukraine on three volunteering trips during the full-scale Russian invasion. In his day job as a lawyer in the NY Attorney General’s Office, he fights for the health care rights of New Yorkers.

Half the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Heal Ukraine Trauma, a charity that helps Ukrainian veterans and their families heal from the trauma of war. The readings are made possible by the Worldwide Ukrainian Play Readings initiative.

 

Bios

Michael D. Reisman has worked as an actor, director, stage manager, producer, and playwright at theatres big and small, including American Conservatory Theatre, California Shakespeare Festival, Lincoln Center Theatre Directors’ Lab, and Misery Loves Company (Prague). He has created plays in hospitals and homeless shelters, and taught drama therapy workshops in the U.S., Ireland, Czechia, Poland, Serbia, Montenegro, and in Ukraine on three volunteering trips during the full-scale Russian invasion. In his day job as a lawyer in the NY Attorney General’s Office, he fights for the health care rights of New Yorkers.

Planting an Apple Tree

Margot Steinberg is an actor and voice over artist from Montreal who trained and worked in London prior to moving to New York. She is on the board of Heal Ukraine Trauma and is very grateful to Savage Wonder for supporting this performance of Ukrainian work. 

A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War

Emma Hannah Myers is a graduate of McGill University and Brooklyn College’s MFA in acting program. Emma has taught at AMDA, CUNY, Marist and with Hudson Valley Shakespeare. She has appeared in Pericles (New York Shakespeare Exchange), This (Proprietors Theater Company), Geppetto Complex (Impossible Bottle Theater Company), The Beacon Fairy Walk and Our Town, Rip Van Winkle and Cyrano (u/s, Roxanne) with the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. She has also appeared in Living Closely, Medea and Performing Art with the Hudson Valley Performing Arts Laboratory.

Carole Penner has had a love affair with theatre from an early age. She enjoys acting as well as singing jazz and has performed with a variety of community theater groups over the years. She was a Film Editor for 7 years in NYC, a Special Education teacher for 35 years, both in Oregon and New York and has a Master’s degree in Educational Theater from NYU. Currently, she is semi-retired, substituting at local schools , getting back to her artistic roots, weaving and sewing, and  running workshops at the Howland library to address the idea of aging gracefully. It is an honor to be able to present these plays which are deeply emotional and important. 

Jessie Zarrelli is an actress from Dutchess County. After spending six years splitting her time between LA and NY, she’s happy to have relocated back to the Hudson Valley this year. She studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse and currently appears in supporting roles in two films on the festival circuit. Her work spans independent films, television, commercials and stage. She is currently developing her second one-woman show. She is excited to be part of a project that brings important stories to American audiences.  For updates on her creative ventures—and some entertaining oversharing—you can find her on Instagram @Jessiezarrelli.

Explosion

Max Druzhynskyi is an actor based in New York City, known for his engaging performances and unique perspective shaped by his Ukrainian heritage. With a passion for bringing depth and authenticity to every role, Max is thrilled to be part of this compelling theater performance.

Ruins

Kiana Duggan-Haas is Hudson Valley-based actor and recent graduate of the Department of Theatre Arts at SUNY New Paltz. She has a background in Shakespeare and contemporary plays, co-founded the Ribbit Theatre Company, and appeared this past summer at the Powerhouse Theater at Vassar in Performing Art.

Nina Sandman is a senior at Vassar College studying Religion, Greek and Roman Studies, and Creative Writing. This past summer she appeared at the Powerhouse Theater at Vassar in Performing Art.

Metrosexuals

Nataliia Maslova is an actor, writer, lawyer, and former politician whose career bridges performance and leadership. She brought depth to a major supporting role in the action-drama The Asset and displayed her comedic range in Mic Check on the Ground Floor. Holding dual Master’s degrees in International Law and Public Management & Administration, Nataliia also served twice as an elected City Council member in Ukraine, where she championed community initiatives and spearheaded multiple charity projects. A world traveler who has explored 35 countries, she brings a global perspective to her work—while being a proud mother of two.

Half the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Heal Ukraine Trauma, a charity that helps Ukrainian veterans and their families heal from the trauma of war. The readings are made possible by the Worldwide Ukrainian Play Readings initiative.