ARTC Theater

Theater performances for all ages.

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About our theater

One famous Russian theater director, Slava Polunin, said: “You should only work with people who you would want to hug”. This fully applies to our team. We are an incredibly diverse collection of characters representing the whole of Austin’s Russian-speaking community, intimately bound by the shared fascination with theater. Programmers, scientists, teachers, managers, business people - everyone is eager to drive, ride, run to a rehearsal after work, no matter how tired or hungry, sometimes twice a week. This is a miracle! (Jokes aside, we do actually hug each other all the time, to greet or say goodbye).

The Austin Russian Theater was founded several years ago. Our origin is similar to many Russian language theaters in America: it began with a group of parents making performances for their children, so the kids would keep their mother language and cultural heritage. With experience came the desire to try more serious productions, as well as to reach a broader audience interested in Russian theater and culture. Luckily, in 2017, we were joined by a professional theater director. At the same time, a script-writing group emerged from within the troupe that creates original scripts, so every single one of our plays is essentially a Worldwide Premiere. 

Fueled by the enthusiasm of the theater crew and with professional guidance, between 2017 and 2022 we have released three New Year’s plays and two Maslenitsa (Slavic Mardi Gras) plays for children. Our first full-length play for grown-ups, “The Meeting Continues, or Fantasies According to Ilf and Petrov” was released in May 2019. It follows the famous satirical writers duo, Ilia Ilf and Eugene Petrov, in 1920’s Russia as they create hilarious characters that are now instantly recognized by any Russan-born person.

Out next big project is "The Complaint Book or Mischief by Anton Chekhov's short stories". Based on characters and stories created by one of the greatest writers in the world the play takes the audience into the world of love which overcoming sadness and despair, teaches about kindness,  shares how to achieve happinness, and brings a lot of laughs along the way.

Austin Russian Theater is now known beyond greater Austin area. We have reached a very important milestone on January 11, 2020: we went on our first tour, taking our New Year’s play to Dallas. For us, this is a big achievement - we have proven to ourselves that we are indeed a theater, a coherent and movable creative unit. This experience inspires us a lot and opens up new opportunities for communication. Theater tours keep coming. In addition to New Year's children plays we already brought "The Complaint Book" in front of a Dallas audience and received huge applause and many compliments. 

We have extensive plans, there are many ideas, especially after we have acquired the official non-profit status in June 2019. New Year's plays, tours  around Texas and beyond, new big production will be coming!

Our Performances

Mischief by Anton Chekhov's short stories. Play is in Russian language. Closed captions in English are provided via users' devices (internet access required).... more

Life is quite an unpleasant business, but it is not so very hard to make it wonderful. To feel continuously happy, even in moments of distress and sorrow, the following is needed: (a) To be satisfied with your present state; and (b) To rejoice in the knowledge that things might have been much worse.” This quote by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov formed the main idea of the play based on his short stories.

On a train – stop – wait – and back on a train. People meet at a train station for a very short time that allows them to share a fascinating story about their life with a stranger, and then they each go their separate ways again. Such stories are safely kept in “The Complaints Book” found in the station lounge from time immemorial.

Present Time … Together with the city Doctor who is unwillingly delayed at a small provincial station “Tyutyushi,” we miraculously find ourselves at the end of the 19th century, the time when Anton Chekhov lived and worked. The Doctor is thrown into another time, creating the opportunity to see surprising similarities between him and the writer and allowing both the Doctor and the audience to look at the world through the eyes of Chekov.

Will something change in the Doctor’s life? Will these circumstances help him to be a happy man again?

Purchase tickets

Date and time:
Sat, February 19, 2022
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST

Location:
Courtyard Theater
1517 H Avenue
Plano, TX 75074

Masks are required.
Our first full-length play for grown-ups, it follows the famous satirical writers duo, Ilia Ilf and Eugene Petrov, in 1920’s Russia as they create hilarious characters that are now ... moreinstantly recognized by any Russan-born person.
Every year we hold Maslinica party in Champion park. The program includes a fascinating little fairy tale for children and adults, burning stuffed Maslenitsa, games for children of ... moreall ages, and, of course, a common table. This festival is free, potluck, so please bring meals and drinks to the common table. If you want to help with the organization of the table or fun, contact the administration of the Russian school. Come for a holiday, you will like it with us.
The Christmas tree in the Russian school of Austin is something special: it is not only the usual round dances around the green beauty, but also an exciting, colorful, musical theatrical ... moreperformance for children and adults. The team of the Russian school, parents and a group of theater for adults will give children an unforgettable fairy tale. Every year, our trees collect a full house - they even come to them from neighboring cities, and then they get upset that they don’t have that, and they ask to go on tour.
After the performance, children can be photographed with Santa Claus, the Snow Maiden and the beloved fairy tale characters.
Children's ticket includes a gift.
The show will take place in the assembly hall of the International School of Austin.

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