A vivid, self-reflexive journey where
art, politics, and survival collide

Developed by En Garde Arts prior to its premiere at La MaMa ETC in May 2025, Seagull: True Story returns in a well-deserved encore production from The Public Theater and the Mart Foundation. Created and directed by Alexander Molochnikov, the play blends memoir, political satire, and meta-theater into an exuberant production that feels both personal and timely.

Written by Eli Rarey, the two-act play (running two and a half hours) begins in Russia at the Moscow Art Theatre in 2022. There, Molochnikov’s surrogate, the young director Kon (Eric Tabach), rehearses a new production of The Seagull. Perhaps echoing the original director in 1895, Konstantin Stanislavski, Kon struggles to break free from the weight of established interpretation in search of a more immediate, contemporary artistic truth. He is aided by his best friend and dramaturg Anton (Elan Zafir)—a likely nod to Anton Chekhov, the original playwright—until rehearsals come to an abrupt halt with Putin’s declaration of war against Ukraine.

Censorship, artistic rebellion, and the fight for creative freedom propel the narrative into chaos. By the end of Act One, on the night of the show’s opening, Kon flees for his safety, landing in New York—where Act Two begins. Here, displacement and communal living offer him the chance to mount a stripped-down version of The Seagull. Yet new obstacles emerge: a different kind of cultural censorship, shifting dynamics between director and ensemble, and the limitations of bare-bones basement spaces in Bushwick. Within these constraints, Kon discovers a more immediate mode of creativity.

When his actress mother Olga (Zuzanna Szadkowski) arrives, accompanied by producer colleague Barry (Andrey Burkovskiy), their response is far from enthusiastic—save for Barry’s admiration of the production’s lead actress (Gus Birney), who latches onto Barry’s connections, leaving Kon behind. The parallels to Chekhov’s original are clear: the actress mother/writer son dynamic, and the older figure drawn to the young ingénue.

Though Kon longs to return to Moscow, Olga makes it clear that such a return is no longer possible, delivering devastating news about Anton (no spoilers here), which lands with quiet but undeniable force.

The ensemble, also including Ohad Mazor, Myles McCabe, Quentin Lee Moore, and Keshet Pratt, is uniformly excellent. Their work pulses with immediacy and conviction, supported by a dynamic creative team: composer/musician Fedor Zhuravlev, choreographer Ohad Mazor, set designer Alexander Shishkin, and sound designer Diego Las Heras. (Additional music by Maestro Gorsky, Noize MC, and Aydar Gaynullin further enriches the soundscape, alongside costume designer Kristina K and lighting designers Brian H. Scott and Sam Saliba.)

What emerges is a vivid exploration of artistic survival, resistance to censorship, and the enduring necessity of live theater. Molochnikov’s production doesn’t merely argue for theater’s relevance—it embodies it, with restless energy and a palpable love of the form. In its final moments, Seagull: True Story reminds us that even in exile, even under constraint, art finds a way to take flight—and here, it soars.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

photos by Kir Simakov

Seagull: True Story
The Public Theater
LuEsther Hall, 425 Lafayette Street
2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission
Tues-Sun at 7; Sat at 1
ends on May 3, 2026
for tickets, call 212.967.7555 or visit The Public

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦