First Hand Theatrical presents Staged Reading Of New Drama

The tumultuous sweep of Pre-Bolshevik and Soviet history is captured in a new, original play which chronicles the true-life stories of Soviet Jewish émigré Bena Shklyanoy's family. From pogroms, through the Bolshevik Revolution, through both World Wars, through Khrushchev's "Thaw" and finally up to the Save Soviet Jewry movement of the 1970s, this new play is drawn from a family and social history researched and written by Ms. Shklyanoy, who emigrated from the Soviet Union to Chicago with her husband and two daughters in 1976.

First Hand Theatrical will present the staged reading of "And Then What? The Children of Velvel and Sheina-Gitel Averbukh" July 13, 15 and 16 at AS220 95 Empire Black Box, in Providence, Rhode Island. The play was created by Kevin Olson and Bena Shklyanoy, based on Bena Shklyanoy's historical family memoir.

"It tells the story of my family, but it is not a personal drama. It is about how a government's policies and actions directly affect the lives and decisions of individuals," said Shklyanoy. Personal narratives, Yiddish and Russian poetry and visual projections place the stories of Bena's ancestors in the context of history and its impact on the lives of this resilient family.

Over the course of 11 years Bena traced her family's history back 152 years, connecting to stories and cousins previously unknown in the process. The full history as well as ongoing blog posts about Culture Clash and insights into the "soviet psyche" are all documented on the website, appledoesnotfall.com.

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"My father-in-law got assigned his 160-square-foot room in a six-room apartment after he returned from the front in 1944," said Bena. "At least, it wasn't a very crowded apartment-only sixteen people between the six families." But when her daughter asked why they didn't move, if they didn't like it there, Bena knew that her family's experience, and that of an entire generation growing up under Soviet rule, would be lost unless she could explain it and make it available via a platform that her daughters and future generations would actually access...Online. "I knew if I published a book they wouldn't read it. A website was the only way to go."

Kevin Olson, Artistic Director of First Hand Theatrical was intrigued by the story as soon as he saw it. "There are not many first-hand representations of this generation who grew up in the Soviet Union," said Olson. And, given today's politics, "it was a perfect time to create a play that pulls back the curtain to glimpse inside of individual lives under Soviet rule, while also providing insight into the mindset of those leading Russia today."

Based in Providence, Rhode Island, First Hand Theatrical creates original theatre pieces and supplementary curricula drawing from diverse cultural and social histories. Working from primary source material, their original theater productions include personal histories and reflections around a common theme.

"The website and Bena's stories were a perfect match for our mission," said Kevin. "I had been looking to share the stories and lives of Soviet Jewry for some time. When I learned how close Bena was to her Grandmother Polina, I discovered that the stories of Polina and her siblings encapsulated an historical arc that could be distilled into a play."

A brief discussion with the authors and cast will follow each performance. For more information or to reserve tickets in advance, contact Kevin Olson at firsthandtheatrical@gmail.com or 401-400-2517.

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