Public Republic

Don’t Take the Bridge
A new play for three characters and a parrot

By Mayia Pramatarova

Directed by Stavri Karamfilov
Music by Gheorghi Arnaoudov
Interactive media by Vladimir Gusev
English translation by Assya Nick

Cast: Hristina Hristova, Jo Jo Hristova, Albena Kervanbashieva, Vanina Kondova, Sergey Nagorny, Tony Naumovski*, Evgeniya Radilova*

*Actors appearing courtesy of AEA, Actors Equity Association

Followed by a Q&A with the artists

Join us on Monday, March 26, 2012, at 7p.m.
At the General Consulate of the Republic of Bulgaria in New York
121 East 62nd St., New York, NY 10065

With the kind support of the General Consulate of the Republic of Bulgaria in New York

There will be an Exhibition of Bulgarian Theater Posters in the lobby

R.S.V.P.
Email: dispatch@onewaytheater.us Free admission
Phone: 1-617-395-7789

Albena Kervanbashieva received her early ballet training in her hometown Rousse (Bulgaria) where she also performed with Pavel Stoitzev Youth Ballet and later toured the country with various dance troupes. After moving to NYC, she completed the trainee program at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and danced with Doris Humphrey Dance Company, Rahway Dance Theater, The Ballade Ballet Company, Contemporary Ballet Theater and numerous independent choreographers.
Albena is currently dancing with Les Ballets du Monde, artistic director Ken Ludden.

Assya Nick graduated the University of Sofia “Kliment Ohridski”with a major in English Language and Literature. She is currently the editor and translator of many English and Bulgarian books, including the plays “Kill this Woman”, “The Revolver” and “Don’t Take the Bridge” by Mayia Pramatarova. The director Stavri Karamfilov describes them as a trilogy about the person in the world of singularity. Assya currently resides in the USA.

Evgeniya Radilova comes from a family with four generations of artistically inclined personalities. In her native Bulgaria she appeared on stage, film and TV. Evgenia graduated The American Academy of Dramatic Arts where she was the recipient of the prestigious Charles Jehlinger award for excellence in acting. She was also selected to be a part of the 2009-10 Academy Repertory Company. After graduation she signed with two agents. In her debut appearance Off Broadway she played the roles of The Bride in Blood Wedding, and Ensemble in The Dybbuk for Marvell Repertory Theatre. Other credits: I Plead Guilty (Gene Frankle Theatre), Seven Against Thebes (Faux Real Theatre Company), Circus of Circus (House of Yes, 5 nomination for Innovative theatre awards). Film credits: Spartacus (USA Network Productions), HorrorCon (Yellow Horse Productions), Brooklyn International Film Festival, featured in Trailer), In the Course Of Condemnation (Adrian Szasz, dir.) and others. Evgeniya is trilled to be part of Don’t Take The Bridge and wants to thank endlessly Maiya for the great opportunity.www.evgeniyaradilova.com

Gheorghi Arnaoudov was born in Sofia, to a well-known family with a strong musical tradition. While attending the Pantcho Vladigerov Academy, Arnaoudov also studied composition in Florence under Brian Ferneyhough, where he explored electronic and concrète music. Upon graduation and completion of his studies abroad, Arnaoudov began establishing a reputation as dedicated composer as well as a theorist. Specializing in modern and postmodern aesthetics, communication and semiotics, he also set himself to exploring ancient and Far Eastern musical forms. To date Arnaoudov has produced numerous symphonies, oratorios, concertos and has won several international prizes. He currently teaches in the Theatre and Music departments of New Bulgarian Univerisity. In 2009 he was appointed associate professor in Composition and Harmony. Compared to composers such as Scriabin, Messiaen or Pärt at first, nowadays Arnaoudov is known as one of the most distinctive European composers, creating music of stasis, a new kind of of intense minimalism.

Hristina Hristova is a Bulgarian actress, puppeteer, producer, set and costume designer. Hristina holds a MA in acting for puppet theater, from the renowned Sofia Theatre Academy. The actress has more than 25 years professional carrier on stage. Hristina performed for her home Yambol Puppet Theater and showed her art at numerous International Puppet Festivals: Yugoslavia, Poland, Italy, France, Russia, Japan, etc.

Jo Jo Hristova is an award winning actress as well as a puppeteer and producer. She has worked with actors such as Mira Sorvino, Tim Blake Nelson and Adrienne Shelly. Jo Jo began her career in her native Bulgaria and later on moved to New York City to seek new opportunities as a performer. Some of Jo Jo’s credits include: film – The Gray Zone, Thicker Than Water , The Child Within, Routinely, Ich Bin Ein Brooklyner ; theater – The Golden Apple, Behold the Bowery, Bird Machine, The Triumph of Love, Antigone, The Bear, The Women and the one woman show And Then … .Currently she is writing, producing and directing the puppet show A Tiny Story about Monica.

Mayia Pramatarova – Stage Director/Playwright/Co-Founder of onewaytheater.us. Mayia worked as a dramaturg at the Bulgarian National Theater Ivan Vazov and The Theater Workshop Sfumato. She was the creator and editor of the successful art almanac EtCetera. Mayia is the author of 2 books and over 250 articles published in the Bulgarian,Russian, Italian and American press. Her plays have been performed in Bulgarian(“Stage on a Crossroad Festival” 2010), the US (“Forum for Bulgarian Culture and Education” 2011) and Canada, as well as as readings at ” Corps de Textes Europe“Belgium, 2011, “Theater Bridge” Russia,2012. Her play The Revoler was recently published in the “Stranitza” magazine, Bulgaria. Currently Mayia Pramatarova is an Associate Member of the Davis Center at Harvard University.
Mayia wants to sincerely thank the team of “Don’t take the Bridge”for giving her the opportunity to present her new play for the first time in front of audience in NYC.

Sergey Nagorny has called New York City stage home for over 6 years. After successfully completing his training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, Sergey embarked on his journey as a professional actor. He has been featured in both Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions, as well as in numerous short films. He has just completed a very successful run of “Дoroga” with the Lost and Found Ensemble, and is looking forward to new work yet to come. Sergey wants to thank Alla Baeva for introducing him to Mayia Pramatarova, and to Mayia for giving him a chance to be a part of her latest creation. Please visit www.facebook.com/imsergeynagorny to see what is next for Sergey.

Stavri Karamfilov – Actor/Stage Director/Poet/Sculptor. Stavri’s performances in the Blagoevgrad theater “Oedipus” by Sophocles and Seneca and “Antigone” by Sophocles are key performances of the Greek dramaturgy in Bulgaria. Stavri systematically developed his aesthetic and intriguing way of reading it. While in Bulgaria, Stavri created a Student theater by the Southwestern University „Neofit Rilski“, that turned into a laboratory for new stage languages and contemporary theater. His performances toured in Australia, Georgia, Romania, France, the former Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. In the US Stavri works predominantly as a sculptor and teaches as a guest lecturer in NYU. He has won numerous awards by Bulgarian National Forums.

Tony Naumovski. New York based classically trained actor. He has appeared in over 100 Theater, Film and TV productions internationally to critical and commercial acclaim. His recent film credits include: the European Premiere of the comedy ‘This is not an American Movie’, the award winning ‘US a Love Story’ directed by Alrick Brown, ‘American Hunger’ (coming soon) etc. TVcredits include: Law and Order ‘SVU’; Americas most Wanted’ FOX TV; The World’s Astonishing News’; Japanese National TV, etc. Tony was on hold for the role of the doorman in Scott Rudin’s ‘Extremely Loud and Incredible Close’. His Most recent NY theater credits: Bugsy Brodsky in Tennessee Williams’ ‘Something Cloudy and Something Clear’; KGB agent Laverenti in the US Premire of ‘PURGE’ at the landmark LaMaMa E.T.C; Cengiz Pasha the leader of Crete in the World Premiere of ‘Three Graces’ at the OBIE winning SOHO TINK Ice Factory Festival, Hamlet in ‘The Ophelia Landscape’ [Mark Morris]; Odysseus in ‘The Odyssey’; Jocasta in ‘Oedipus Rex’ etc. Tony is fluent in four languages. He is also a singer, a drummer and a Martial artist. For more info visit. www.tonynaumovskirotino.com

Vanina Kondova is proud to be making her debut in a Mayia Pramatarova play. An alum of The Atlantic Acting School and The Bulgarian National Theater and Film Academy, where she received the award for best actress of the graduating year, Vanina has most recently been seen in The Tenant (Woodshed Collective), Factory Girls and Court Play (Atlantic Stage 2). She is excited to dive into this immersive theater piece and would like to thank Mayia for bringing her into the “Don’t Take the Bridge!” family. Na dobar chas!

Vladimir Gusev – Co-Founder/Visualist, onewaytheater.us. Vladimir’s recent interactive visual score credits include Kill This Woman! by Mayia Pramatarova (onewaytheater.us, 2009), Aida by Giuseppe Verdi (Budapest Summer Festival, 2009), Damned and Killed by Victor Astafiev (Anton Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre, 2010), Five Nights by Alexander Volodin (The Petr Fomenko Workshop Theatre, Moscow, 2011) The Little Tragedies by Pushkin (Satyricon Theatre, Moscow, 2011).