Tarnawsky's "Not Medea" staged at Mabou Mines (05/31/98)

Tarnawsky's "Not Medea" staged at Mabou Mines

NEW YORK - Mabou Mines/Suite, under its resident artist program, will present the Ukrainian American author's Yuriy Tarnawsky's work in progress "Not Medea," on June 6 and 7.

The play stars the American actress of stage and screen Tania Mara Miller and is directed by the renowned Ukrainian Canadian director Gregory Hlady (Hryhoriy Hladiy); stage design and lighting is by another Ukrainian Canadian, a long-time collaborator of Mr. Hlady, the artist Volodymyr Kovalchuk.

"Not Medea" is a one-act, one-woman play about the death of love. By acting out the story of the man whose love she has killed, a woman both becomes this man and reveals herself to be, like Euripides' Medea, a tragically principled individual who destroys herself for the sake of justice. Combining dreamlike recollections, personal narrative and the blurring of boundaries between identities, "Not Medea" is a haunting examination of love, character and the meaning of ancient ideals in modern times.

Mr. Tarnawsky is the author of more than a dozen novels, collections of poetry, and plays. His most recent publications include the epic poem "U ra na" (Berezil, 1992) and the play cycle "6 x 0," to which "Not Medea" belongs. He is a member of the avant-garde writing groups Fiction Collective and The New York Group, and is a resident artist at Mabou Mines.

Ms. Miller is an actress, dancer, producer and writer. Her recent theater work includes solo work in "Spell for Opening the Mouth of N" at Lincoln Center, as well as leading roles in the plays "Off Broadway" (director, Norman Chaitin) and "The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant" (Museum of Modern Art Fassbinder Series). Ms. Miller's recent film and television work includes principal work with Borax Films and in Dance Away (Barli productions). Ms. Miller has trained with Michael Howard and worked closely with director Mel Gordon.

Mr. Hlady has worked intensively with renowned Russian director Anatoly Vassiliev. His recent directing efforts include "The Idiot" (Arsenic Theater, Switzerland), "Amerika" (La Groupe La Veillée, Montreal) and "The Homecoming" (La Groupe La Veillée), for which he received the Critics Prize for 1992. Mr. Haldy's recent acting appearances include "Macbeth" (New Generation Theater Group, Edinburgh Festival) and the film "Diva" (principal).

Mabou Mines/Suite is an annual laboratory designed to aid appointed resident artists in developing new works. All works shown at the Space have been developed with input from Mabou Mines company members.

The production has been invited to The Golden Lion International Theater Festival to be held in Lviv in September and to the Suziria International Theater Festival to be held in Kyiv in October.

"Not Medea" will be staged at 122 Community Center, Toronada Theater, 150 First Ave. at Ninth St., on Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7, at 7 p.m. The performance is free of charge. For information and reservations call Mabou Mines, (212) 473-1991.