3 PRESS: NEW YORK

"Dark Night, Bright Stars" is one of those pleasant surprises… a play that actively distances itself from traditional forms of storytelling and instead communicates its messages through fragments of memories and poetry readings. On the surface level, this play is a story about two friends with similar pasts having a cultural exchange, but dig deeper and you discover themes of race and poverty, oppression and liberation, diaspora and the yearning for home. 
   "Dark Night, Bright Stars" chronicles the meeting of Ira Aldridge (Jeremy Tardy), an African-American Shakespearean actor who rose to prominence in Europe during the nineteenth century, and Taras Shevchenko (Sean Eden), the influential poet who is often credited with contributing to the rise of the modern Ukrainian language. In a meeting facilitated and recorded by Katya Tolstoy (Maria Pleshkevich), Aldridge and Shevchenko kindle a friendship with one another, finding solace in their troubled pasts of servitude and loneliness. This friendship culminates with Shevchenko painting Aldridge's portrait before the two depart, promising to meet again, a promise that would never be realized.
Visually the play is striking… set design is minimalist, consisting of a single table, a chair, and an easel, pushed off to the side so the attention is brought to the actors in the center stage. The backdrop is beautifully designed, adorned with a decorative carved border and projections of still-lifes during flashback and poetry sequences. Younger versions of the characters enter and exit through a door in this backdrop, effortlessly establishing the fact that they are visions of the past. 
Timothy Esteves, New York Theatre Wire, June 3, 2016

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The show opens with the bandurist Julian Kytasty in an alcove that is part of the simple yet beautiful set design by Watoku Ueno. A bare background is outlined with woodcuts and used to show off the projections by Waldemart Klyuzko, the first of which is a painting by Shevchenko depicting a girl in bright Ukrainian costume.   When Shevchenko and Aldridge met, they discovered that they were both deeply affected by the loss of their mothers when they were 9. Aldridge’s mother appears in flashback scenes. Shona Tucker stuns with her strong voice as she sings to her son, the young Ira played by Barak Tucker.
  When the translator wasn’t present, Shevchenko and Aldridge learned to communicate through the use of a few words…This is where the acting really shines. Even though Messrs. Eden and Tardy are both speaking English, we are convinced that they don’t understand each other… Another poignant moment is Shevchenko’s recitation of “It’s All the Same to Me” translated by Virlana Tkacz and Wanda Phipps… Mr. Eden’s powerful voice adds to the touching and inflammatory nature of the poem.
Olena Jennings, Ukrainian Weekly, June 26, 2016

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No other recent Yara show was as popular and well-attended. Twelve packed performances is a great success for an experimental theatre… This scenario is the closest to a conventional play, and satisfied both traditional theatre-goers and modernists who expect Virlana to “deliver” the unexpected… Shevchenko was shown, not as a gilded icon, but as a PERSON who lives like everyone, suffers, experiences the hardship of exile, misses his homeland; he also rejoices and dreams of a little home and family… We hope that Yara will have the opportunity to share its “Bright Stars.” The project  deserves it. Hopefully, theatre–lovers in Chicago will invite them.
Lydia Korsun, Chas I Podii (Chicago), June 30, 2016

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The concept of the play is wonderful; the acting was amazing. Powerful performances by Sean Eden (Taras Shevchenko) and Jeremy Tardy (Ira Aldridge) brought the characters to life. Maria Pleshkevich portrayed a bubbly 15-yea-old Katya (the daughter of Count Tolstoy) very well. Shona Tucker’s vocals filled the theater with passion as she played the role of young Ira’s mother. Throughout the play, the actors’ dialogue and actions were accompanied by the beautiful and flawless tones of the bandura played by Julian Kytasty who seamlessly wove together traditional Ukrainian songs with church gospel hymns.  Irena Gramiak, Our Life, July, 2016

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The students of the Self-Reliance School of Ukrainian Studies in New York City had the unique chance to see a special performance of “Dark Night Bright Stars.” Talia Danysh, the school’s vice-principal, commented: “The fact that no one stirred for the entire length of the performance is a testament to the effectiveness of this brilliant play in capturing the student audience. It was not only educational, but also engaging and different from how Taras Shevchenko is usually portrayed. Students talked about the play for many hours, and I believe they felt a closeness to this Ukrainian hero because they witnessed him as an everyday man struggling for human rights and freedom… The haunting bandura accompaniment emphasizes the roller coaster of emotions and leaves the audience in an awesome trance.” A student added: “Many of us, especially immigrant groups in New York, can relate to the idea of missing home. Shevchenko missed his home but he still knew he was Ukrainian. Aldridge missed his home, too.” 

Kristina Lucenko, Ukrainian Weekly, June 26, 2016

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