At The Top Of Our Voices

In early March, as the devastation of COVID-19 swept through Italy, Theater 86 became the first theater to voluntarily close its doors in Manhattan, out of an abundance of precaution for its audiences, artists and students. Shortly afterwards, New York City went dark with us.

In time, what was once alarming news faded into the background din of bizarre headlines. In a world of uncertainties, it is important to remember the things we love: acting, theater-making, and community.

Studio classes went online. To keep acting students engaged during the quarantine, Russian Theater Lab adjusted to the Zoom format and started explorations of Silver Age poetry. Students met weekly in class online as well as private Zoom rehearsals and crafted together performances based on the poetry of Anna Akhmatova, Marina Tsvetaeva, Osip Mandelstam, Boris Pasternak and more. The result is AT THE TOP OF OUR VOICES, a series of performances inspired by some of Russia’s most beloved poetry, self-taped by students at home. New episodes are released on Youtube and on our Facebook page, available free to the public.

NEW EPISODE!

Episode Nine: Tastes May Differ/Cloud In Pants

Poems by Vladimir Mayakovsky

Performed by Elena Mindlina and Aleksey Burago

PAST EPISODES