BAUDELAIRE'S PASSION
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Artwork by Sasha Davidov
We live in the World and the place where distinctiveness should be celebrated and where people should be motivated to express their opinion. The life of Charles Baudelaire helps to establish oneself in today’s complex world. His life is viewed as analysis of his achievements and failures, overcoming conflicts related to family, mother, stepfather, Baudelaire and his time, Baudelaire and the social entity, Baudelaire and love, Baudelaire and religion – all vitally important issues that are having a deep resonance in everybody’s daily thoughts. The play “Baudelaire's Passion”. Should promote serious dimensions of thought process and handling real life situations.
A fascinating international story, serendipitously brought together A Latvian Jewish man living in Germany to write a play in Russian language about a particularly fascinating period of French culture, a play about Charles Baudelaire, his infamous Flowers of Evil, about artist's life and struggles not only in life but after death as exemplified by his conflicts with Satan and St. Peter, all of that to be produced in New York for American audiences in Russian and English, with actors from Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Latvia etc.. A true soup of global culture intermixing in this cultural capital of the world - New York!
This highly acclaimed team of artists have been working to craft an experience that is far above the realm of creative theater work known to this genre.
Gennady Kurkin
Playwright
Gennady Kurkin was born in Riga, Latvia. Decided to pursue creative writing after graduating with economics degree.
Intelligent and dedicated to his profession, Gennady’s becoming another
‘Nabokov’ in his own right: a gifted writer who produces quality work
both in English and Russian. In fact, it can be argued that his
bilingualism gives his prose a special appeal in both form and content.
Nate Sassoon
Composer
Nate Sassoon graduated from the University of Oxford with a BA in Music. Nate was born in New York City and graduated from Phillips. He is a classical pianist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer/music producer who creates and performs music in a wide variety of genres. He has done many recitals of classical piano improvisation in the US and in Russia. Among venues are stages of Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Steinway Hall, Baker’s Mansion (Russian Sinod), Art and Music center on Nevsky (St. Petersburg), Andrei Makarevich Club (Moscow), and Scriabin Music Hall.
Eduard Tolokonnikov
Director
In 2020, Eduard Tolokonnikov graduated from the directing department of the Russian Institute of theater Arts – GITIS with a drama theater and film acting degree. He is a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Modern Arts with theater arts research. He performed in various Russian theater (such as MAT of Gorky, theater center “On Strastnoy,” etc.) and participated in many Russian and International theater and Media festivals. In 2021 he founded the Acting & Directing laboratory
Alfred Rechester
Art Director
Alfred's artistic journey was shaped by a series of influential mentors who added unique elements to his unconventional artistic style. He first encountered a talented homeless painter whose ethereal abilities defied societal norms and exposed the beauty within destitution. Inspired by this encounter, Alfred delved into graphic illustration under the guidance of a renowned artist known for both exquisite skills and a whimsical affinity for inebriation. However, it was the enigmatic tutelage of a non-conformist artist that truly ignited Alfred's creative spirit. This mentor shattered artistic conventions, urging Alfred to surpass boundaries and nurture his idiosyncratic vision. As a result, Alfred's art became a testament to postmodernist fusion, combining traditional forms with subversive twists and fragmented narratives. Through his brushstrokes and visual poetry, he challenged linear storytelling, constructing a multi-dimensional reality where tales of the Dibukkim intertwined freely. His work invited viewers to explore the fragmented whispers of a postmodern dreamscape, dismantling the constraints of conventional art.
