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U.S. Premiere
Set in 1960’s rural Hungary, the Katona József Theatre Company’s approach to Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov is intellectual, non-traditional and fresh, layering comedy, tragedy, and the spectrum of emotions within. Often considered the “Russian Hamlet,” Ivanov is a stirring drama that explores the human response to moral, economic and political upheaval and continues to resonate with contemporary audiences, over a century after the play’s first production.
In Hungarian with English surtitles. This performance contains partial nudity.
WED - FRI 8 pm
SAT 3 pm
Hunky Blues: The American Dream, the most recent documentary by acclaimed Budapest-based director Péter Forgács, will be shown as part of the Festival's Ideas program on opening night, Wednesday June 24 at 5:30pm in the Yale Center for British Art (1080 Chapel Street). László Jakab Orsós, Director of the Hungarian Cultural Center, will be introducing the film.
Both the film and this production of "Ivanov" are presented in conjunction with Extremely Hungary, a yearlong festival showcasing contemporary Hungarian visual, performing, and literary arts in New York and Washington, DC, throughout 2009.
Anna Lengyel, Hungarian dramaturg and producer, will give three pre-performance talks:
o Thursday, June 25 at 7pm prior to the 8pm performance.
o Friday, June 26 at 7pm prior to the 8pm performance.
o Saturday, June 27 at 2pm prior to the 3pm performance.
Special Offer: $15 student tickets are now available in advance for Ivanov
on Thursday June 25 and Friday June 26 at 8pm. Students can save 50%
off the regular ticket price for these two performances only. All seats
general admission.
Click here to purchase tickets online. You may call or visit the Shubert Theater Box Office (247 College Street, New Haven) at 203-562-5666 or 888-736-2663.
The presentation of this project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts
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June 14, 2009, 11:07 am
Eve K. wrote:
Twenty-two years ago I saw one of the most astonishing shows I’ve ever seen in New Haven. It was a cabaret company from Crakow, Poland called Theater Under the Ram. For three hours I sat transfixed by the way that great actors can communicate a whole story through the rhythms their bodies make as they move through the performance space. At no point during the show did I ever feel I’d lost track of the story. I turned out to be right about that: After the show, I checked in with my sense of the experience with a Polish-speaking friend in the audience. He heard my account of the show, and confirmed that I got every bit of it. This is not because I am so brilliant, but because the actors were.
From everything I’ve read about the Katona Joszef Theatre’s actors, I’m expecting another one of those experience where performance soars past language and communicates everything. AND this time we’ll be able to peek at the English when (and if) we need it. Can’t wait.
June 20, 2009, 10:21 am
LMD wrote:
My parents are furious. They paid MUCH MORE for their tickets to see this SAME SHOW at Lincoln Center the week after next.
June 20, 2009, 12:17 pm
Aoife wrote:
I saw Katona Joszef’s IVANOV at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2007. Prepare to be astounded. I also saw K.J.’s RATTLED AND DISAPPEARED in Budapest last year. A life-changing experience. Their work is thrilling.
June 25, 2009, 1:49 am
Sofy Solomon wrote:
The riveting performance of the Katona JĂłzsef Theatre Company causes you to forget about your use of captions, and makes the three hours pass by quickly. If you saw CIRCUS last week at the University Theater, it’s worth going to this performance simply to see the transformation of the stage. The spectacular set design for IVANOV immediately transports you to the bleak, leaky atmosphere of rural, economically-distraught Hungary. Given this dreary setting, there are still quite a bit of laughs, especially with such a drunken lot. But the general tone is somber, leaving one highly skeptical of the idea of true, everlasting love.
June 25, 2009, 7:06 pm
MGF wrote:
The performance is a study in truly fine ensemble playing–every actor staying in character at every moment, even those way at the back of the set. A splendid job–the humor is droll (and fits Chekov’s tone), the performance moving. Go see this production!
June 26, 2009, 10:46 am
John Curtis wrote:
Those of you who decide to skip this upon seeing it is performed in Hungarian with subtitles will deeply regret missing what is already one of the funniest and most heartbreaking productions to be seen anywhere in the world this year. Seamless going from being side-splittingly funny to emotionally devastating, this is hands down the best production of a Chekhov play I have ever seen. The the uniformly superb company makes you immediately forget the subtitles and the show’s three hour running time. (On word of advice, do not sit in the first four rows as the subtitles may be hard to read.)
June 26, 2009, 12:07 pm
e eder wrote:
How lucky I feel to have seen this performance. The scene from the birthday party is etched in my mind forever as one of the most hilarious I’ve ever experienced. The acting, stage, and directing are all suburb! Even my husband who hates long plays says he enjoyed every minute.
June 27, 2009, 1:45 pm
Ama Quao wrote:
I admit, I was extremely hesitant about going to this 3-hour play in Hungarian, but I was impressed about what I saw. The 3 hours passed flawlessly and I found it so easy to connect with the characters despite the language barrier. The surtitles were easy to read and I didn’t feel like I was looking at them the whole play. I found the characters to be absolutely hilarious, yet devastatingly sad. The change that happens to the characters as the play moves was understated, but soo powerful. Nothing was overdone. I sat entranced for 3 hours. A must for those who get the chance to witness such a great performance on stage.
June 27, 2009, 9:38 pm
Erinn C. wrote:
Although this play was quite long, the comical, yet emotional atmosphere made me forget that it was three hours long! I loved the use of the set as it transformed from a home to a study/office. The slamming of doors, yelling, sickening expressions, and crying added to this dramatic story of love, death, and even more chaos. My favorite character was Borkin, and his ability the change a boring evening into a firework spectacular. I felt frustrated at points where I didn’t agree with the characters, but I think that was the intention. The fact that it was in Hungarian did not bother me AT ALL. It was very easy to understand with subtitles. The only drawback from this performance was the constant presence of smoking. Overall, wonderful performance!!!!
July 1, 2009, 6:10 pm
Ashley Miles wrote:
The direction of this play seemed to have the most impact on my experience. The blocking– the way the actors moved around the stage–really captured my attention. One scene that stands out in my mind is the final one where the entire cast of 20 or so actors was staggered out on the stage prior to Ivanov’s wedding. The multi-colored balloons hanging from the ceiling, Sasha’s white wedding gown, and Ivanov’s slicked-back hair was a picture-perfect event.