June 18, 2012
Glen Cove, NY: "Verbochki" Children’s Theater to holds it premier of
"Finist the Bright Falcon."
On
Sunday, June 10, the
Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin
in Glen Cove, NY graciously threw open the doors of their parish
hall for the Children’s Theater Group "Verbochki" ("Little
Willows"), who came to premier their play, "Finist the Bright
Falcon." The children’s theater, under the direction of Matushka
Maria Ivanov, is already in its third year, and has successfully
performed several children’s plays, touring various American
Orthodox parishes.
Almost a year and a half was spent preparing the play, in which 30
actors are taking part. The quality professionalism of the play’s
production and choreography has been noted by a great many audience
members: the stage owners ‒ parishioners of Holy Intercession
Church, as well as guests from the Church of our Lady "The
Inexhaustible Chalice" on Brighton Beach. The musical arrangement,
costumers, and stage decorations were prepared under the guidance of
Tatyana Shnitko. The play’s choreography was directed by Vladimir
Pustovit. The script was worked on jointly by Arseny Mikhalev and
Yuliya Volchok.
The Long Island clerics at the premier: Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky
(rector of Our Lady of Kazan Church in Sea Cliff), Archpriest
Serafim Gan (rector of St. Seraphim of Sarov Church in Sea Cliff),
Priest Alexandre Antchoutine (rector of the Church of the
Intercession), and Priest Alexei Oulanov (cleric of the same), as
well as Priest Vadim Arefiev (rector of the Church of our Lady "The
Inexhaustible Chalice" in Brooklyn) and Priest Paul Ivanov (cleric
of the same), unanimously praised the dynamic production of the
play, which emphasized heroic themes and utilized Russian folk music.
After the primier, Fr. Alexnadre Antchoutine noted the importance of
goals and desires of the adults taking part in the Theater: to give
children experience in the arts, in a spirit of camaraderie and
love, nurturing in them a love for the Russian language and Russian
culture.
"Verbochki" was first organized in early 2010, when the children put
on a play entitled "Buratino" at the Christmas Yolka in Holy New
Martyrs & Confessors of Russia Church in Brooklyn.
The second play to be prepared and put on by the "Verbochki" group
was the musical "Mama," based on the primary motifs of the story
"The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids." This musical was shown not only
to parishioners of Holy New Martyrs & Confessors Church, but also to
parishioners of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Glen Cove, NY and
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Lakewood, NJ. In June 2011, the
theater group presented the musical at a Russian cultural festival
being held for several years in New York City. The children are now
joyfully prepared to accept invitations to parishes of the Russian
Orthodox Church and various organizations.
