Theater Arts Productions

A riveting theatrical portrait of the journalist and activist Anna Politkovskaya, this powerful play, by one of Italy’s most celebrated writers, takes us behind the headlines she generated while exposing details of Russia’s war in Chechnya.

CONTENT AWARENESS: This play's text deals with war crimes, violence and police brutality. There are references to war violence and sexual violence. 

Emily Bial '25 (Ensemble) she/her. Emily is a senior from Lawrence, Kansas majoring in Theatre Arts and American Studies. Previous stage credits at Brandeis include The Wolves (#00) and Cabaret (Sally Bowles) with the UTC, and Stupid F*cking Bird (Nina) with the Brandeis Theater Department. She is completing a thesis in playwriting entitled "Escape Artists" that will have a staged reading April 25th-27th. She works for the theater department as a prop stock manager and is an undergraduate departmental representative for the theater major. Outside of theater, she is a member of the Brandeis Starving Artists a cappella group. She would like to thank the cast and crew for making her last show at the Brandeis theater department so special.

Jacob Budner '27 (Ensemble & Assistant Director) he/him. Jacob is from Claremont California and is excited to a part of his first Brandeis production show. He has been a part of several UTC shows, including Lost Girl, Girls In The Boat and How Was Your Day Tom?. He also was in several high school productions, and is currently a part of the TBA improv group. Jacob has enjoyed working with Dmitry as an assistant director, as well as acting and being a part of the ensemble. He is grateful to his family and friends for supporting him, and to the numerous people who worked so hard to make this show possible. Finally, he would like to thank Anna for going above and beyond her responsibilities as a journalist so that we can understand the necessity of free journalism and the brutality of war.

Helen Ma '27 (Ensemble) she/her. Helen is from Shenzhen, China and is joining Intractable Woman as a cast member. Before coming to Brandeis, Helen appeared in Bugsy Malone (Bugsy) and The Twelves Night (Viola) with Basis International School PLH Theater Program. She also participated in Wolf Play (2024 Spring Theater Production of Brandeis) as the understudy for Wolf. Helen is super excited to be on stage for the first time in college!

Greg Roitbourd '26 (Ensemble) Greg is a Junior majoring in Physics and Theater Arts, with minors in Mathematics, Environmental Studies, and Creative Writing from Brooklyn, NY. This season, Greg has worked on Everybody as the Assistant director and past acting credits include Twelfth Night (Orsino), Stupid F*cking Bird (Dev), Almost, Maine (Dave), and The Laramie Project (Ensemble). He is also the Head Writing Coordinator of Brandeis’ Sketch Comedy group, Boris’ Kitchen. Greg has roots in the ex-Soviet Union and Ukraine, where his relatives and friends are seeing the suffering and destruction being caused by Russia’s oppressive invasion; at the same time, there are many brave journalists, like Anna Politkovskaya, that are trying to fight the same aggression that is in this very play. If you take anything away from this, take away that oppression repeats itself and the search for truth will help us end it. Greg would like to thank all of the wonderful people who have worked on this production and thank all of his friends and family for their support.

Maya Schultz'25(Ensemble) she/her. Maya is a senior majoring in International Global Studies and Politics from San Diego, California. She is honored to be performing in her final department show with the Brandeis Department of Theater Arts. She would like to thank her friends and family for their laughter and support, the cast, Dmitry, and the entire creative team in their care and commitment in bringing Intractable Woman to the stage. She hopes Anna’s dogged commitment to the pursuit of truth is an example we can all follow and continue to be inspired by. A special thank you to her family away from family in Boston, and the family that has traveled to be here. Merci!

Triona Suiter '27 (Ensemble) she/her. Triona is a Theater Arts major from Seattle, Washington. She is a carpenter in the Spingold scene shop and is excited that Intractable Woman will be her first opportunity to act on one of the sets she's worked on. Previous shows at Brandeis include As You Like It (Le Beau) and The Tempest (Trinculo) with Hold Thy Peace, the Purim Drag Ball Spiel (King Ahasuerus), and Liquid Latex. She'd like to thank the Brandeis Club Rugby team for forgiving her for all the practices she's missed while in rehearsal these past two months.

Manning Zhang (Ensemble) she/her. Manning is an international student from Hefei, China, who is currently working towards a PhD degree in Sociology and Social Policy. She recently appeared in Brandeis Theater Arts Department production Everybody (Death). She has been involved in theatre productions since high school, and the very first character she played was John Keating in Dead Poets Society. Before joining Brandeis, Manning was part of Fudan Rye Theatre in Shanghai, China, appearing in a couple of productions, including Macbeth (Lennox), The History Boys (Mrs. Lintott), and The Catcher in the Rye (Sally Hayes). She also acted in The Silence of the Lambs (Clarice Starling) with Fudan Shouwang Theatre and Avenue Q (Kate Monster) with Fudan Musical Theatre.

Dmitry Troyanovsky (Director) Dmitry Troyanovsky stages productions, teaches, workshops, adapts and develops new theatrical material at national and international institutions. Dmitry's work has been seen at Shanghai Drama Arts Center, Asolo Rep Theater, American Repertory Theatre, Opera Idaho, Bard Music Festival, Prague Shakespeare Company, Boston Playwrights' Theater, Actors' Shakespeare Project in Boston, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Shanghai Theatre Academy, Asolo Rep (FL), SpeakEasy Theater, Moscow Art Theatre School, 92 Street Y, New York University, Pushkin Theater (Moscow), and Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. Dmitry is a graduate of Brandeis University class of 1998. He has an MFA from the A.R.T./MXAT Institute for the Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. Dmitry is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).

Cameron Anderson (Scenic Design) she/her. is an internationally acclaimed scenic and projection designer and has designed extensively at the world's leading theatre and opera companies. Recent projects include popstar Charlie Puth's North American and international tours, Leonora (Chicago Opera Theater), and world premiere opera RUR: A Torrent of Light (Tapestry Opera, Toronto), which won the Best New Opera in North America award (MCANA). Other recent highlights include West Side Story (Kilden Performing Arts Center, Norway, Vancouver Opera), and Simon Boccanegra (Teatro Colon, Argentina), Byhalia Mississippi (The Kennedy Center), The Niceties (Manhattan Theatre Club), Yerma, Becoming Cuba, and Sweat (Huntington Theater), Fille du Regiment, The Consul, Vinkensport, The Merry Widow, and Rocking Horse Winner (Opera Saratoga), and Photograph 51 (South Coast Repertory). Select opera credits include Glimmerglass Festival, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Central City Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Gotham Chamber Opera, and On Site Opera. Select Off-Broadway credits include Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwrights' Horizons, New Georges, LAByrinth Theater Company, Naked Angels, Ars Nova, and Brooklyn Academy of Music. Cameron is the Barbara Sherman '54 and Malcolm L. Sherman Associate Professor and Chair of the Brandeis Theatre Arts Department. cameronanderson.net

Olivera Gajic (Costume Design) Olivera Gajic is a New York-based costume designer and educator. She designed for theater, opera, dance, film, and performance art in the United States and Internationally. To her credit, Olivera has 250+ theater, opera, dance, and film productions. At Brandeis she design production of Bacchae 2018 directed by Dmitry Troyanovsky. Olivera’s work has been shown at exhibitions including the U.S. national exhibit at the 2004, 2007 & 2023 Prague Quadrennial and Curtain Call: Celebrating a Century of Women Designing for Live Performance (Lincoln Center), Costume at the Turn of the Century (Moscow), Vesuario a Scena (Mexico City) , OISTAT Sena (Rabat, Morocco), etc. Olivera is a recipient of the NEA/TCG CDP for Designers, IT Award for Outstanding Costume Design, TDF/Irene Sharaff Young Master Award, Barrymore Award for Outstanding Costume Design and Bessie Award Recipient for Outstanding Visual Design. USA Local-829 https://www.oliveragajic.com/ 

Christopher Ostrom (Lighting Design) Christopher Ostrom's credits include productions for Odyssey Opera, Opera San Jose, Tulsa Opera, Arizona Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Mobile Opera, Hawaii Opera Theater, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Kentucky Opera, Opera Boston, Syracuse Opera, New England Conservatory, Opera Providence, Boston Conservatory, The Toronto Symphony, Macau International Music Festival, Curtis Institute of Music, Boston Early Music Festival, New Repertory Theatre, Stoneham Theatre, Boston Ballet, Snappy Dance Theatre, Boston's Christmas Revels, Brandeis University, and Bard College. Christopher is the Producing Artistic Director at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, where he has designed or directed over 70 productions since 1997. Member: United Scenic Artists Local USA-829 of the IATSE.

Joshua Vorchheimer (Assistant to the Lighting Designer) Josh is a sophomore from New York City majoring in Biology. This is his first time working on the lighting design team. Josh has worked for the department as a work study electrician for the past two years. Outside of theatre he is an EMT with Bemco and an undergraduate researcher in the Yevick Lab. Josh would like to thank the incredible cast, crew and artistic team for their hours and hours of hard work putting this amazing show together. 

Christian Frederickson (Sound Design) he/him. Christian Frederickson is a violist, composer, and sound designer specializing in performances with live music. He was a founding member of Rachel's, an instrumental band from Louisville, KY who released six albums on Touch and Go Records between 1995 and 2003. As a solo artist, Frederickson has released seven albums, all available on Bandcamp. He has worked at a long list of theaters in New York City, notably the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Classic Stage Company, La MaMa, The Public Theater, Playwright's Horizons, Cherry Lane, Rattlestick, Atlantic Stage 2, as well as regionally at The Old Globe, Woolly Mammoth, Hartford Stage, On The Boards, and Actor's Theatre of Louisville. He teaches in the Theater Arts department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. www.christianfrederickson.com

Hannah Dillis (Prop Design) she/they. Hannah is a self-taught props master & fabricator who is delighted to join the Brandeis team for another wonderful production. When not working in theater & film, Hannah can be found teaching puppet & prop making to her students and hopes that in doing so, she can help the next generation of artists hone their skills & use their art to change the world for the better. Hannah would like to thank her friends & family for their continued support!

Maggie Hastings (Stage Manager) she/her. Maggie is thrilled to be working with the Brandeis Theater Department once more! Previously with the department, she has stage managed Without Blinking: A Devised Participatory Performance About Climate Change, Senior Studio Productions 2023 and Senior Studio Productions 2024. As a student, she stage managed The Opposite of People, a clearing, and 10, 9, Too Late… Blast Off! She wants to thank each and every one of the cast for bringing this project to life.

Skye Xiaotian Lu (Assistant Director, Dramaturg, Lobby Display) Skye Xiaotian Lu is honored to serve as assistant director for this production, helping to bring Anna’s story to the stage. A sophomore majoring in Theater Arts & European Cultural Studies, Skye is an emerging theater director with credits including Spoleto, I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow, Three Sisters · Waiting for Godot, and The Delayed Trial. She is also a proud directing graduate of NTI Theatermakers ’24 at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. For Intractable Woman, Skye is particularly excited to explore the intersection of theater and real-life narratives, examining how stage imagery can shape and communicate stories of resistance and truth. In addition to assistant directing, she contributed to the production’s choreography and lobby presentation. This marks her second time assistant directing for the department—hopefully, with many more to come!

• Jake Franklin
• Arryn Clanaugh
• Mary Benjamin
• Maya Mondlak-Reuveni