New American Ensemble to Present IVANOV at The West End Theater This Spring

New American Ensemble will present a world premiere staging of Anton Chekhov's first and often neglected play, Ivanov, directed by New American Ensemble's Artistic Director Michael DeFilippis.

This devastatingly funny and profoundly heartbreaking examination of what we now call ‘depression' asks, “What happens when you lose yourself in a community that cannot support that loss?” This strictly limited engagement will run March 11 – April 5, 2026 at The West End Theater (263 W 86th St) with an opening set for Thursday, March 19. 

Once a magnetic and idealistic young figure within his community, Nikolai Ivanov was driven by a belief that he could change the world. Now, he finds himself abruptly cut off from the convictions, emotions, and sense of purpose that once defined both his inner life and his public identity. Confused by what is happening to him, and increasingly unable to control his own behavior, Ivanov's unraveling begins to reverberate outward, taking a devastating toll on a community already stretched to its limits, where personal needs run high and no one seems capable of meeting anyone else where they are.

The ensemble cast for Ivannov includes two-time Drama Desk Award-winner Mary Bacon (Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll and Arcadia) as Zinaida, Zachary Desmond (Hooded; or Being Black for Dummies) as Nikolai Ivanov, Quinn Jackson as Anna, Mike Labbadia (Bedlam) as Misha Borkin, Maude Mitchell (Mabou Mines DollHouse) as Avdotya Nazarovna, Paul Niebanck (Jelly's Last Jam at City Center, Richard III at Shakespeare in the Park) as Pavel Lebedev, Alexandra Pearl as Martha Babakina, Maya Shoham as Sasha, Lambert Tamin (Hooded; or Being Black for Dummies) as Yevgeny Lvov, Ilia Volok (Our Class, Diary of a Madman) as Count Matvey Shabelsky, and Casey Worthington as Dmitry Kosykh.

Director Michael DeFilippis remarked, “My jaw dropped, repeatedly, when I first read Ivanov. It spoke profoundly to my own life and the challenges we all face in 2026 – that particular mixture of confounding loss, intense personal need to change the world, and futility. It's a masterfully written play, brimming with the kind of subtle and genius moments that only Chekhov could write. And in Chekhov's singular way, the play teaches us about a quintessential human experience in a way that feels both revelatory and completely recognizable.”

The creative team for Ivanov includes Ashley Basille (scenic design), Adeline Santello (costume design), Sarah Woods (lighting design), Stan Mathabane (sound design), Shari Perkins (dramaturg), and Dakota Silvey (production stage manager). The production team includes Hannah Jade Vickery (executive producer), Scott Gordon (managing producer), Peyton Mader (associate producer) and Andrew Fick (general manager).