Oscar Eustis, the artistic director of one of New York’s best-known theaters, The Public Theater, visited Teatr na Podoli in Kyiv. The visit continued cooperation between American and Ukrainian theater professionals that has lasted nearly three years and already includes productions by American playwright Richard Nelson in Kyiv and a Ukrainian production presented in New York.
This was reported by Ukrinform.
Eustis is an American director, playwright, and theater curator who has led The Public Theater in New York for more than two decades. The theater is known for supporting contemporary drama and socially significant theatrical projects. During his current visit to Kyiv, Eustis met with representatives of Teatr na Podoli and watched productions created as part of their joint work.
The partnership between Teatr na Podoli and American artists began with Richard Nelson’s work on the play “Tusculan Conversations,” dedicated to the abuse of power in Ancient Rome. The Ukrainian premiere took place on May 3, 2024. For Teatr na Podoli, this was the first production of Nelson’s play in Ukraine created by the playwright himself.
Eustis said he was impressed by the Ukrainian actors’ performance in the production.
“I know that this is a wonderful play. I produced its premiere 18 years ago. But the life that the actors of this theater breathed into it impressed me,” Eustis emphasized.
The American theater professional also highlighted the importance of cooperation between artists from the two countries.
“Relationships between theaters are the same as relationships between people. When they are established, they create a community that continues to unite us. These are artistic relationships, personal relationships and, ultimately, national relationships,” Eustis said.
The second joint production was the play “As the Evil Storm Dies Down,” which premiered on the chamber stage of Teatr na Podoli on March 7, 2025. Richard Nelson dedicated it to Les Kurbas, the founder of modern Ukrainian theater, and his work on “Macbeth” in 1920.
The production was later presented to American audiences. Nine performances took place in New York over the course of a week, although initially only two had been planned. The play was performed in Ukrainian with English subtitles, but it attracted considerable interest among American audiences.
“We presented this play in Ukrainian with English subtitles. It was a pleasant surprise for us how easily the American audience accepted this production,” said the artistic director of The Public Theater in New York.
According to Eustis, Ukrainian theater continues to demonstrate its artistic experience to American audiences against the backdrop of the full-scale war.
“Ukraine’s courage, its refusal to give up – that is something that lifts the spirits of all of us. And it inspires us to find a little bit of that courage within ourselves,” the American director emphasized.
The third joint project was the production “More Beauty Than Sorrow,” which premiered in March 2026. The play tells the story of the Kosach family, including Olena Pchilka and Lesia Ukrainka. The parties are currently negotiating its presentation in New York.
Eustis expressed hope that the cooperation would make it possible to bring more Teatr na Podoli productions to the United States.
“My hope is that next time we will take more productions from Teatr na Podoli to New York. And this will become another step toward cooperation that, I hope, will outlive me,” Eustis emphasized.
For his part, Bohdan Beniuk, director and artistic director of Teatr na Podoli, noted that international cooperation gives Ukrainian theaters an opportunity to appear on foreign stages and introduce Ukrainian art to new audiences.
“Oscar’s proposal for our theater to travel six months ago seemed like a mirage. But he said something very important: Ukrainian theater lives a different life, and that is exactly what is interesting to the world today,” Beniuk emphasized.
Thus, cooperation between Teatr na Podoli and American theater professionals has already gone beyond individual productions. Ukrainian plays are being presented in New York, while an American playwright is creating new works directly in Kyiv. The parties also continue discussing new presentations of Ukrainian productions in the United States.
Additional information
Oscar Eustis is a U.S. director, playwright, and theater curator who has led The Public Theater in New York for more than 20 years. Under his leadership, the theater has developed as a platform for contemporary drama, socially significant productions, and experimental theater projects.
Photo: Ukrinform
Author: Danylo Pievchev