Our Production Team.
At New Wave Arts, we understand the significance of a strong production team in creating an extraordinary international play. Our dedicated team of experienced professionals brings together diverse talents from across the globe, collaborating seamlessly to breathe life into the mesmerizing world of Charles Baudelaire. From set design to lighting, costumes to sound, our meticulous attention to detail ensures a captivating theatrical experience that transcends borders and resonates with audiences worldwide. Together, we strive to deliver excellence, bringing the magic of 'Baudelaire's Passion' to the stage with unparalleled expertise and passion.
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Henry Keen
Playwright
Gennady Kurkin was born in Riga, Latvia. Decided to pursue creative writing after graduating with economics degree.
Intelligent and dedicated to his profession, Gennady’s becoming another ‘Nabokov’ in his own right: a gifted writer who produces quality work both in English and Russian. In fact, it can be argued that his bilingualism gives his prose a special appeal in both form and content.
Author Henry Keen Speaks on Baudelaire's Passion
Nate Sassoon
Composer
Nate Sassoon graduated from the University of Oxford with a BA in Music. Nate was born in New York City and graduated from Phillips. He is a classical pianist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer/music producer who creates and performs music in a wide variety of genres. He has done many recitals of classical piano improvisation in the US and in Russia. Among venues are stages of Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Steinway Hall, Baker’s Mansion (Russian Sinod), Art and Music center on Nevsky (St. Petersburg), Andrei Makarevich Club (Moscow), and Scriabin Music Hall.
Elena Che
Assistant Director
Since her teenage years, Elena Che has been a part of two theater troupes – theater-studio Myth and francophone theater Les Partisan. Both troupes were participants and awardees of Russian and international theater festivals. Elena graduated from Hunter College with a Master of Arts in Theater in 2012. Her directorial debut in New York was Conor McDonald's The Smoke. It was presented at the short play festival Open hydrant in 2016 and was warmly received by the audience. Elena worked with Slava Stepnov at Steps Theater for several years as an actress and director. In 2020, together with Eduard Tolokonnikov, she directed a play by Bulgarian playwright Maya Pramatarova White on white, and played the role of Emily Dickinson.
Eduard Tolokonnikov
Director
In 2020, Eduard Tolokonnikov graduated from the directing department of the Russian Institute of theater Arts – GITIS with a drama theater and film acting degree. He is a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Modern Arts with theater arts research. He performed in various Russian theater (such as MAT of Gorky, theater center “On Strastnoy,” etc.) and participated in many Russian and International theater and Media festivals. In 2021 he founded the Acting & Directing laboratory
Alyona Mak
Costume Designer
Alyona Mak is an artist / designer, living and working in New York; born in St. Petersburg, Russia. Alyona graduated from Pratt Institute with a Master’s degree in Industrial Design. She studied art in Russia, US, Italy, and Denmark and has worked as a designer and illustrator for almost 20 years in a variety of design fields. Recently Alyona Mak was commissioned to create over twenty hand-painted watercolor and ink illustrations for Barnes & Noble, which are now a part of the store environments in Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans and other locations around US.
Sketches from Alyona Mak:
Alfred Rechester
Art Director
Alfred's artistic journey was shaped by a series of influential mentors who added unique elements to his unconventional artistic style. He first encountered a talented homeless painter whose ethereal abilities defied societal norms and exposed the beauty within destitution. Inspired by this encounter, Alfred delved into graphic illustration under the guidance of a renowned artist known for both exquisite skills and a whimsical affinity for inebriation.
Alfred Rechester: Featured Artwork
Victoria Zharova
General Manager
Victoria has worked with various production and theatrical companies in Moscow and in the United States. This includes working with a world-known director Goncharov as his assistant. Victoria managed the cast for the production of the play "My Cyrano" in 2022 with New Wave Arts and is presently managing the cast of Baudelaire's Passion.
Tatyana Kot
Movement Director
Tatyana Kot was born in the Soviet Union, trained to be a ballerina, studied History & Archaeology at the university, and worked as a direct support for people with disabilities for 15 years in Kentucky and NYC. Best actress winner at Planet Connections theater festivity, Midtown international theater festival, and First prize at Secondo Theater Festival (Zurich, Switzerland). Company member of Blessed Unrest, Nylon Fusion, and PM Theater company. Tatyana is excited to work on Baudelaire’s Passion-the seventh world premiere of a play that she created the movement for.
