‘SEAGULL:TRUE STORY’: (left to right) Eric Tabach, Elan Zafir & Andrey Burkovskiy. Photo: Kir Simakov.

SEAGULL: TRUE STORY
By Eli Rarey
Created & directed by Alexander Molochnikov
Through May 3, 2026
LuEsther Hall at the Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street
https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2526/seagull-true-story/

By Scott Harrah

Seagull: True Story ranks among the most topical productions now playing in New York, following sold-out runs in 2025 at New York’s La MaMa and London’s Marylebone Theatre. It reflects the grim realities of war in both Ukraine and the Middle East in 2026. However, it avoids being a straightforward political drama. Instead, it filters these tensions through a darkly comic and theatrical lens.

From Russia, with no love lost

Alexander Molochnikov creates and directs the production, while Eli Rarey provides the script. Together, they draw on real-life experience. They reshape it into something surreal and meta-theatrical. In Moscow in February 2022, Kon (Eric Tabach),  a young director, attempts to stage The Seagull as political forces close in and the “special military operation” in Ukraine unfolds. As a result, the lines among art, identity, and survival begin to blur.

As a result, the piece feels immediate and disorienting. War does not sit in the background. Rather, it invades the creative process. It shapes what artists can say, who can speak, and what risks they must take.

Performing on the edge

The ensemble handles the shifting tone with precision. They move easily from satire and drama to absurdity.

Most notably, Andrey Burkovskiy dominates as the emcee. He steals nearly every scene. His manic delivery, sharp timing, and fearless physical comedy drive much of the show’s momentum. His pratfalls land perfectly. Moreover, his farcical take on a Russian entertainer feels both hilarious and pointed. The irony adds another layer, since Mr. Burkovskiy himself is Russian.

In addition, he delivers a series of rapid transformations. At one moment, he plays an American producer. Next, he appears as a shirtless Vladimir Putin riding a horse. Then, he dances wildly at a disco. These moments heighten the show’s absurdist edge and keep the audience off balance.

Meanwhile, Eric Tabach anchors the production as Kon. He plays the director who risks everything by leaving Russia (and his work behind) to pursue freedom in New York. Mr. Tabach brings clarity and emotional weight to the role. As a result, he grounds the production’s more chaotic elements. He captures both ambition and loss with precision.

Similarly, Zuzanna Szadkowski delivers one of the evening’s most moving performances as Olga, Kon’s mother. At first, she appears cold and demanding. She plays an imperious Arkadina in The Seagull. She criticizes her son and rejects his decision to leave Russia. However, her emotional distance gradually softens. After visiting him in New York, she begins to understand his choice. In the second act, Ms. Szadkowski reveals remarkable depth. Her performance becomes layered, intimate, and deeply affecting.

Meanwhile, Gus Birney brings vibrant energy to Nico. She captures the spirit of a restless, bohemian actress searching for purpose. Ms. Birney blends spunk with emotional openness. Consequently, Nico feels authentic rather than idealized. In her final scene with Kon, Ms. Birney delivers one of the production’s most powerful moments.

Finally, Elan Zafir creates a haunting portrayal of Anton. His performance builds with quiet control. As the character’s fate unfolds, Mr. Zafir underscores the production’s darkest themes. He avoids excess and instead delivers a restrained, deeply human performance that lingers.

The ‘Method’— and the madness

The pacing feels deliberately frenetic. At times, it becomes experimental. Occasionally, it turns interactive. For example, the emcee invites the audience to shout a two-word expletive (best experienced live).

At the same time, the production moves quickly across locations. It jumps from Moscow to a Manhattan subway station to a Bushwick loft. These shifts create constant motion. They also mirror the instability within the story.

Even so, director Alexander Molochnikov maintains control. He keeps the production cohesive, even during its most chaotic moments. He also draws strong performances across the ensemble. In addition, he makes the most of Eli Rarey’s clever and thought-provoking script, even when it feels messy or fragmented.

At first, this reviewer approached the production with hesitation. Chekhov has never been a particular favorite. A prior Broadway Seagull starring Kristin Scott Thomas left a lasting impression, particularly for its plodding pace. However, this production quickly shifts expectations. Rather than revere Chekhov, it challenges him. It pokes fun at The Seagull. At one point, a female character named Pickle (Keshet Pratt) pointedly asks of Chekhov, “So we’re just worshipping at the feet of some dead white male author?”—a line that neatly encapsulates the production’s irreverent stance toward theatrical tradition. The play also sends up the traditions of the renowned Russian theater practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski.

At times, the production may remind audiences of Cabaret. In both works, performance unfolds against a backdrop of political unease. Likewise, the presence of LGBTQ identity within a repressive environment adds urgency. In particular, a gender-bending character named Gorgeous (Ohad Mazor) appears in androgynous clothing—something that would likely not be tolerated in Putin’s Russia, where even expressions of gender nonconformity are policed. These elements deepen the emotional and political stakes.

The price of freedom

Ultimately, Seagull: True Story succeeds because it balances urgency with invention. The script feels sharp and incisive. It confronts difficult realities without losing its sense of humor.

At the same time, the direction remains innovative and controlled. Together, these elements create a production that feels both timely and surprising.

In a season of familiar titles, Seagull: True Story stands apart. It speaks directly to the present moment and the price of freedom. More importantly, it asks why—and how—we continue to create art during times of crisis.

Published March 31, 2026
Reviewed at press performance on March 28, 2026.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Elan Zafir & Gus Birney. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Eric Tabach & Zuzanna Szadkowski. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Andrey Burkovskiy. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Eric Tabach & Elan Zafir. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Gus Birney. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Elan Zafir. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Ohad Mazor, Myles J. McCabe & cast. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: The cast. Photo: Kir Simakov.

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‘THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW’: Rachel Brosnahan & Oscar Issac. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW
By Lorraine Hansberry
Directed by Anne Kauffman
Through July 2, 2023
James Earl Jones Theatre
138 West 48th Street,
212-239-6210, https://thesignonbroadway.com/

By Scott Harrah

The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window recently transferred to Broadway after a successful run at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). The play was the second work by Lorraine Hansberry after A Raisin in the Sun and never found an audience when it was originally produced in 1964. This is an old-fashioned three-act drama that’s far from perfect and certainly dated, but it’s worth seeing simply to witness amazing performances and experience the long-gone era of epic three-act stage dramas that petered out by the early 1970s. In addition, the show stars Rachel Brosnahan from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” as well as film star Oscar Isaac.

While A Raisin in the Sun remains a timeless, simplistic saga of African Americans in the 1960, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window is a complex story primarily focusing on a white family in Greenwich Village, with many subplots and characters, including a gay male neighbor, a corrupt politician, a Black artist and others.

Ms. Hansberry’s second play is the saga of Jewish bohemian Sidney Brustein (Oscar Isaac) and the disintegration of his marriage to Iris (Rachel Brosnahan), a young woman from Oklahoma who works as a waitress but yearns to be an actress. Sidney’s wife Iris (Brosnahan) is the ambitious, progressive sister who feels trapped in her marriage. She is nothing like her older sister Mavis (Miriam Silverman), described as “the Mother of Middle Class itself,” who married well, is always impeccably dressed but is racist and antisemitic and initially has much contempt for her brother-in-law, but warms up to him later in the show. The youngest sister Gloria (Gus Birney) is a beautiful young woman who claims to be an “international model.”

Sidney is a struggling artist/writer who has just bought the Village Crier, an alternative weekly newspaper he cannot afford.  Wife Iris is tired of slinging hash as a waitress and her marriage to Sidney hangs tenuously by a proverbial thread as she longs to break into acting. Their marital clashes are quite intense throughout the first act. Meanwhile, Sidney has reluctantly decided to have the newspaper endorse local politician Wally O’Hara (Andy Grotelueschen). In addition, Sidney and Iris are nervous about their friend Alton Scales (Julian De Niro), an African American young man who wants to marry Iris’s younger sister Gloria. Initially, Alton has no idea what Gloria’s real job is.

The first two acts before the intermission are full of tension and politics and are often riveting with lots of dialogue and multiple monologues tying everything together but the third final act unravels with melodramatic twists and scenes that are not fully explained, making the outcome ultimately unsatisfying. If Ms. Hansberry had taken the narrative on a more traditional path, it could easily have been the story of a man who married into a family with three troubled sisters, but hardly the type Chekhov wrote about.  The Parodus sisters all come from Oklahoma, of supposedly Greek and Cherokee extraction. However, with all the various characters and subplots happening simultaneously, the narrative is choppy, uneven and mired with confusion. It is indeed understandable why this show is rarely revived, but it remains a thought-provoking play and depicts the political turmoil of the 1960s quite well. Many will see the show because “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Rachel Brosnahan is the leading lady, and she is consistently great throughout the show but in reality, the character of Iris is not a huge role.  Regardless, the whole cast works well together under the direction of Anne Kauffman. Oscar Isaac as Sidney and Miriam Silverman as Mavis are especially noteworthy and both give natural, outstanding performances.

Editor’s Note: The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window received two 2023 Tony Award nominations, one for Best Revival of a Play and one for Miriam Silverman for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 3, 2023
Reviewed at April 30, 2023 press performance.

‘THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW’: Rachel Brosnahan. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW’: Miriam Silverman (Mavis), Tony Award nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW’: Julian De Niro & Miriam Silverman. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW’: Oscar Isaac. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW’: Oscar Isaac & Glenn Fitzgerald. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW’: Gus Birney & Oscar Isaac. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW’: Raphael Nash Thompson. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

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