Cleveland troupe to present Lesia Ukrainka classic, "Lisova Pisnia" (05/30/04)

Cleveland troupe to present Lesia Ukrainka classic, "Lisova Pisnia"

CLEVELAND - MN2 Productions will premiere its latest dance theater piece, "Forest Song" at Cleveland Public Theater's Old Parish Hall on Friday, June 11, at 8 p.m.

"Forest Song" is a tale of sacrificial love reminiscent of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid." Mavka, a forest nymph, has been awakened from her wintery slumber by the music of Lukash, a village youth. Their love blossoms like the flowers of the spring, until she relinquishes her immortal forest life to become mortal and be with him. This story is presented against the backdrop of the ancient forests of Polissia in Ukraine, a forest filled with water spirits, mischievous imps and other mythical sprites and creatures.

Originally written in Ukrainian by Lesia Ukrainka, the work is translated into English by Nadia Tarnawsky and is brought to life through the vibrant choreography of Natalie M. Kapeluck of the Mary Miller Modern Dance Company and artistic director of the Slava Modern Dance Company and the Kyiv Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, with the adept staging of Michael D. Flohr.

Ukrainian folk songs and folk music were collected in villages in Polissia and Volyn to serve as the soundtrack for this production and are performed by some of the strongest musicians in their field: Beata Begeniova on accordion, Alexander Fedoriouk on cimbalom and buben, Andrei Pidkivka on sopilka, frilka and dvodentsivka, Nadia Tarnawsky as vocalist and on bandura, and Mykhailo Pidloha providing additional vocals.

The production has been generously funded through an Artist's Project Grant by the Ohio Arts Council and with the support of the Ukrainian Museum and Archives of Cleveland.

"Forest Song" will run for three performances only - June 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and June 13 at 3 p.m. Performances will take place in Cleveland Public Theater's Old Parish Hall, 6209 Detroit Ave. Tickets are $15, general admission and $12 for seniors and students with a valid student ID. For ticket reservations, call the MN2 Productions box office at (216) 832-4225.

For more information about MN2 Productions, access the website at http://go.to/mn2productions or contact Ms. Tarnawsky by phone at (216) 832-4225 or via e-mail at [email protected].

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