Arlekin Players Theatre Presents Live Interactive Art Experiment STATE VS. NATASHA BENINA

The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia is partnering with the Cherry Orchard Festival to co-present the Arlekin Players Theatre production State vs. Natasha Banina, a live online interactive art experiment directed by Igor Golvak and starring Darya Denisova. The live theatrical experience, a New York Times' Critics' Pick, will be presented on Thursday, October 22 at 8PM EST and can be streamed at the Wilma Theater's website, wilmatheater.org.

"We are thrilled to partner the Cherry Orchard Festival and Arlekin Players Theatre to present this evocative production," said Wilma Lead Artistic Director Yury Urnov. "The digital platform provides audience members from around the world the opportunity to experience this highly acclaimed show, which fits the Wilma's mission to present adventurous, living theater."

Performed live by Darya Denisova, State vs. Natasha Banina unfolds as a Russian teenager tells the story of her life in a small-town orphanage, and how her desire to be free led to a crime of passion. From the inside of a "Zoom courtroom," she makes unique appeals to the audience/jury, letting them into her world where she dreams of love, family, and her future. Ultimately, the audience will decide whether she is guilty of manslaughter.

"In the face of a global pandemic and national racial unrest, an unprecedented moment of disruption, we were honored to have our production hailed by the New York Times as a Critics' Pick and we suddenly found ourselves performing from the corner of our living room for people from 40 states and over 15 countries. And we are embracing the moment," adds production director Igor Golvak "It is a time to embrace experimentation, dream about what is possible in the cloud, and explore new virtual genres for the theater that are powerful for artists and audiences. We are thrilled to be on the brink of invention in a world that is becoming ever so small, and the human connection between people is ever so needed."

The October 22 live performances of State vs. Natasha Banina cost $25, with discounts for WilmaPass holders, and can be reserved at wilmatheater.org.

There will be a post-show discussion between the show's artists, the Wilma Theater's Portable Studio, and Baker Industries, a nonprofit workforce development program serving hard-to-employ adults in the Philadelphia region, some with lived experiences in the US Justice and Foster Care.