The Akhmatova Journals

by Ginger Lazarus

Directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary

November 19, 7:30

The two-woman play delves into the life of once-praised Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, who is now languishing in obscurity. She’s desperately seeking the release for her imprisoned son, when a chance visit by writer Lydia Chukovskaya initiates a powerful literary partnership, centered on poetry and haunted by the shadow of the prison wall. 

Ginger Lazarus is an award-winning Boston-based playwright, screenwriter, and teacher. She collaborated with Central Square Theater’s Youth Underground to create Here and There, a play about immigration, currently on tour. Other productions include The Housekeeper with Fresh Ink Theatre, Burning with Resonance Ensemble (NY) and Boston Playwrights’ Theatre (2013 Boston My Theatre Award for Best New Work), The Embryos with Fresh Ink, A Blessing and a Curse: A Duet of Plays on Motherhood presented by Spiced Wine Productions, and Matter Familias with Boston Playwrights’ (IRNE nomination for Best New Play). She served as a script consultant for Debra Granik’s highly praised feature, Leave No Trace.

Bridget Kathleen O’Leary is a freelance director, dramaturg and theater educator. From 2008-2018 she served as the Associate artistic director at New Repertory Theatre. Select directing credits include: Heartland, Ripe Frenzy (IRNE Award winner for Best New Play), Blackberry Winter (Elliot Norton Nomination, Best New Play), Pattern of Life (IRNE Award winner for Best New Play), Lungs, Collected Stories (Elliot Norton Nomination, Best Production 2012), Doll House (Elliot Norton Nomination, Best Production, 2011), and Fool for Love. Other directing credits include: Grand Concourse, for Speakeasy Stage Company; Othello, for Actor’s Shakespeare Project; The Flick, for Gloucester Stage Company; The Other Place, for The Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater; Recent Tragic Events and Aunt Dan and Lemon, for Whistler in the Dark; Reconsidering Hanna(h) and The Devil’s Teacup (IRNE Nomination, Best New Play, 2007) at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. Bridget is on the Executive Committee for the National New Play Network (NNPN) where she serves as the Chair of the Literary Committee overseeing the selection process for both the NNPN Showcase of new works and the Kennedy Center’s MFA Playwrights’ Workshop. She was the production dramaturg on the premiere of Finish Line: A documentary play about the 2013 Boston Marathon (Elliot Norton Nomination, Best New Play) at the Boch Center and has worked as a dramaturg with the Kennedy Center and Washington University’s Hotch Fest. From 2012-2017, Bridget was the creator and curator for the Next Voices reading series at New Repertory Theatre. Before moving to Boston, Bridget worked in Washington, D.C. with the Olney Theatre Center, Theater Alliance, Cherry Red Productions, Charter Theater, Studio Theatre, Second Stage, and Phoenix Theatre DC, of which she was a founding member. Bridget received her MFA in directing at Boston University.