Planting an Apple Tree

IRYNA HARETS is a playwright, writer, screenwriter, director, and psychologist, and the Head of the Theater of Modern Dialogue in Poltava. She has been a finalist and winner of Ukrainian and international drama and literary competitions, and she is an experienced trainer in such fields as: “Civic Competence,” “Creating social theater venues,” “Non-formal education for children and adults,” and “Creative thinking.” She is the author and curator of social projects and is the founder of the All-Ukrainian Library of Contemporary Drama (UkrDramaHub). She was a nominee for the Women in Arts 2021 Award, in the category “Women in Theater.” She is a co-founder of the Theatre of Playwrights.

American writer and translator who, after working 30 years in Russia, now lives in Greece. He was the theatre critic of The Moscow Times (1992- 2015). His play Dancing, Not Dead (2011) won the Internationalists Global Play Contest (2011); his short play Five Funny Tales from the Heart of Buenos Aires (2013) has been performed in NY, Chattanooga, and Edinburgh. Translator of over 100 plays and dramatic texts, with productions mounted in five continents. He is the author of numerous books, including Silence’s Roar: The Life and Drama of Nikolai Erdman (1992), and Provoking Theater: Kama Ginkas Directs (2003). He is the curator of two Worldwide Readings projects: Insulted. Belarus (2020 to present) and Ukrainian Play Readings (2022).

NATALIA BRATUS graduated in 1982 with a degree in metallurgical engineering in her hometown of Dnepropetrovsk (now Dnipro), Ukraine, the Soviet Union. She worked as a defectoscopist engineer for 10 years before becoming a private entrepreneur after Ukraine declared independence. She escaped the war in Ukraine with her daughter, grandson and two family pets in March 2022, and immediately began working with John Freedman on translations of Ukrainian dramatic texts.

LESLIE BAKER is a director, performer, movement coach and educator, working internationally since the mid-1990’s in theatrical spaces as well as site-specific locations specializing in devised physical visual theatre.  Having presented in Canada at Espace Tangente, Studio 303’s Edgy Women, Summerworks, Centaur Theatre’s Wildside Festival and Théâtre La Licorne.  Her creations toured to festivals in Europe and the United States; POW Action Art Festival, Theatre in a Suitcase Festival, NY Fringe Festival and Aquarius Era Festival. Projects she directed have received 13 META nominations, winning four.  Leslie has had the opportunity to collaborate with Robert Wilson, Richard Foreman, Emma Tibaldo, Tedi Tafel, Micheline Chevrier, Leeny Sack, and Mary Overlie amongst others.

CLARE COULTER (actor – she, her) based in Montreal and Toronto. Clare recently appeared at the Centaur’s fundraising evening for Ukraine in May 2022. She played Constance in Centaur’s
production of Goodnight Desdemona Good Morning Juliet. Other Montreal productions include A Doll House (sic), Buried Child, Blythe Spirit, Fallen Angels, A Comedy of Errors. She can be seen
in the upcoming/recently released Three Pines, the soon to be released Wong and Winchester, and the feature films, not yet released, We Are Zombies, Queen of Bones, The dogs.

Scenographer and multifaceted designer, Peter Bottazzi began his career as a puppeteer, and later as a lighting technician and set designer with Compagnia Carlo Colla e Figli. He later collaborated with many directors, such as Peter Greenway, Moni Ovadia, and Robert Wilson, and he designs the staging for Steve McCurry’s exhibitions. In recent years he has designed striking art exhibitions in Italy for clients such as Il Sole 24 ore Culture, Civita, Giunti, Contrast, Sugar International Music, Change Performing Arts, the Spoleto Festival, Triennale of Milan, and Abitare il Tempo.

PETER CERONE has been designing/engineering sound for performance and installations since 1980. Beginning in Italy at the National Theatre of Rome with directors Luca Ronconi, Maurizio Scaparro, Giorgio Strehler and Federico Tiezzi. He began collaborating with Robert Wilson in 1992 with G.A. Story and continued to design extensively for Wilson highlights include Lady From the Sea, The Days Before, I La Galigo, Rumi, Krapp’s Last Tape, Happy Days and installations: Voom Videoportraits, Aichi Expo 2005, G. Armani/Guggenheim, 14 Stations, Villa Stuck, and Anna’s Room. He has worked with Peter Greenaway on 100 Objects and Wash and Travel. Since returning to Montreal, Peter has continued working internationally and started collaborations with Canadian artists. He has been awarded three META’s for Outstanding Sound Design.

Silvia Rigon is an Italian theatre maker and video artist. She collaborates in the realisation of interdisciplinary events creating a narrative line that can be applied to theatre, videos, exhibitions or cultural projects. Her directing works have been presented at Festivals such as Festival dei 2Mondi of Spoleto 2019. As a dramaturge, one of her works was presented at the Avignon Festival 2016. She also collaborates in international projects with artists such as Lucinda Childs, Marco Balich and Peter Bottazzi.

As a stage manager, Nan has worked with Canadian Stage Company, VideoCabaret, National Arts Centre, Buddies in Bad Times, Soulpepper, Optic Heart Theatre, Obsidian Theatre, Theatre Columbus, Factory Theatre, Harold Green Jewish Theatre, Volcano, Motion Live and Opera Atelier. As assistant stage manager, she’s worked with Nightwood Theatre, Mirvish Productions and Luminato. Nan first worked with Ms. Coulter in 1987.