Historical Romance: Boris Pasternak, Olga Ivinskaya, and the Birth of Doctor Zhivago

According to many, literary translator and poet Olga Ivinskaya was the muse behind Lara in Boris Pasternak's magnum opus Doctor Zhivago. Pasternak and Ivinskaya themselves have been the inspiration for two full-length plays: Irina Volkovich's literary Russian-language The Candle Burned and Scott C. Sickles' English-language Lightning from Heaven. Historical Romance presents scenes from both pieces in both languages – performed, respectively, by the Literary Theater Dialogue and members of WorkShop Theater Company  – depicting the romance that, from its earliest days, was sparked by Pastnernak's allegedly anti-Soviet novel. In addition to these excerpts, there will be guitar music, songs, and a unique documentary from Olga Ivinskaya’s archive.

This program will be conducted in English and Russian

Program’s participants:
WorkShop Theater Company

Jed Dickson (Boris Pasternak)
Kari Swenson Riely (Olga Ivinskaya)

Mary Ruth Baggot (Irina Yemelyanova)
Michael Selkirk (Giangiacomo Feltrinelli)
Christine Verleny (Zinaida Pasternak)

Director: Thomas Coté

Literary Theater Dialogue

Rustem Galitch (Poet)

Inna Yesilevskaya (Muse of the Poet)

Sergei Pobedinski (Singer & guitar player)

Director: Irina Volkovich
Film editor: Rawl Jakman