SpaceBridge
La MaMa in association with En Garde Arts presents
SpaceBridge
Conceived and Directed by Irina Kruzhilina
SpaceBridge is a workshop program and a live theater piece created and directed by Irina Kruzhilina (En Garde Arts’ A Dozen Dreams), which brings refugee children from Russia together with their American counterparts to build lifelong friendships while coming to terms with their differences.
The performance tracks the struggles of children, now living in New York’s shelter system, whose families were forced to escape Russia and enter the US through Mexico because of their antiwar views.
Conceived and directed by: Irina Kruzhilina
Written by: Clark Young and Irina Kruzhilina
Choreography by: Laura Peterson
Assistant directors: Colin Wilson and Anamaria Willars
Video design by: Aleksei Postnikov and Zoe McGlynn
Lighting design by: Brian Scott
Sound design by: Darron West
Props by: Jacqueline Brockel and Moira Zhang
Voice consultant: Alba Quezada
Stage manager: Max Mooney
Production managers: Thijs Beuming
Performed by:
Ellen Lauren, Alisa Shaverdova, Anastasia Skorobogach, Anna Skorobogach, Arina Skorobogach, Artem Skorobogach, Lilly Borzenko, Leon Ladia, Mark Savin, Mars Markelov, Maya Gogichaishvili, Sasha Boikova, Adele Nigrini, Drake Malave, Henry MacDowell, Nate Hatter, Polina Soukhopalova, Sabine Gutenberg, Teddy Treusch, Tiera Lopper
Irina Kruzhilina is a New York-based director, scenographer, visual dramaturg, experience designer and educator, creating work at the intersection of visual art, live performance, and civic engagement. She has collaborated with acclaimed artists and organizations including Doug Fitch, Lars Jan, Dmitry Krymov, Geoff Sobelle, En Garde Arts, Mabou Mines, and Arlekin Players. She is the founder of Visual Echo, a multidisciplinary performance organization, whose mission is to create physical and social environments for genuine contact between people across cultures. Visual Echo has developed several original productions, including Journey of a Dream, a cross-generational venture developed in collaboration with Peace Child International in commemoration of the UN’s 75th Anniversary, “Мис”Translation, an interactive installation delving into the artistic potential of verbal and artistic mismatches, and Bridging Conversations, a sound-mediated experience for two that offered participants a brief yet impactful opportunity to immerse themselves in someone else’s perspective.
Irina holds the position of associate professor at the New School of Drama, where she co- developed a new MFA program in Contemporary Theatre and Performance. Irina is a La MaMa resident artist and a Joan D. Firestone Fund Award recipient.