Sam Underwood and More to Star in THE REAL IVANOV Off Broadway

Initiative Productions is proud to present the world premiere of The Real Ivanov, a 100-minute adaptation of Anton Chekhov's first staged play, Ivanov, by writer and Chekhov scholar Laura Strausfeld who also directs. Strausfeld's faithful and fast-paced adaptation centers the comedy in Chekhov's prescient play about living with despair. This strictly limited engagement will run August 17 – September 19, 2026, at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater (136 East 13th Street, Manhattan) with an opening set for Tuesday, August 25. Tickets are now on sale.

In the course of a year, Nikolai Ivanov—mid-30s, once charismatic and admired—has become overwhelmed and depressed. Everyone around him thinks they know why. Ivanov isn't convinced. This gripping adaptation captures the central insight of Chekhov's first masterpiece: misunderstanding one another is both comic and calamitous.

Sam Underwood (“Dynasty,” “The Following,” “Fear The Walking Dead”) stars as as Nikolai Ivanov and leads an ensemble cast that includes Sam Adegoke (“Dynasty”) as Borkin, Ivory Aquino (ABC's “When We Rise”) as Anna, Spencer Aste (Bedlam, Axis Theatre) as Lebedev, William DeMeritt as Kosyk, Jordan Lage (Glengarry Glen Ross, American Buffalo) as Count Shabyelsky, Sarah Long as Zinaida, Amelia Mason as Sasha, Soph Metcalf (Machinal, Slaughter City) as Avdotya, Elijah Guo as Dr. Lvov, and Kimberlee Walker as Babakina in addition to understudies Aubyn Heglie and Brendan Titley.

The creative team for The Real Ivanov includes Jiyoun Chang (set & lighting design), Ella Matza (costume design), Brandon Bulls (sound design), and April Kline (production stage manager). The production team includes Nina Korelitz Matza (producer), Sam Underwood (executive producer), Ashley M. Cowles (associate producer), and Regular People (general manager).

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