This week, Jared Bowen reviews “State vs. Natasha Banina” and previews the SpeakEasy Play Discussion Club.

State vs. Natasha Banina, presented online by Arlekin Players Theatre Sundays through June 28

Hot off their Elliot Norton Award wins for “The Stone” and “The Seagull,” Arlekin Players Theatre has launched “State vs. Natasha Banina;” a new, interactive performance presented live each Sunday (except for May 31) via Zoom. The play transforms its virtual audience into a jury tasked with deciding the fate of Natasha Banina, a 16-year-old orphan on trial for attempted manslaughter.

Based on Yaroslava Pulinovich’s “Natasha’s Dream,” this production is directed by Igor Golyak and stars Darya Denisova, both recent Elliot Norton Award winners for directing and acting respectively, in “The Stone.”

“We find a young woman in the spotlight using that illumination to eradicate the shadows of doubt,” says Jared. “Therein comes the faltering and the fabrications. Or are they? In the end it is for both me and you to decide.

"No matter your impression, Denisova’s performance will leave you ruminating on your verdict for hours after.”

SpeakEasy Play Discussion Club, presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company every Thursday through June 18

Although live, in-person theater worldwide has been postponed, SpeakEasy Stage Company is finding new ways to engage with audiences for its 30th anniversary season. Starting the SpeakEasy Play Discussion Club invites audiences to participate in free, weekly play discussions that focus on the work of contemporary, female playwrights.

The discussions are moderated by SpeakEasy’s Producing Artistic Director Paul Daigneault and Community Programs Manager Alex Lonati, and each week will feature guest appearances from different female playwrights, including Martyna Majok ("Cost of Living"), Phaedra Michelle Scott ("DIASPORA!") and Hansol Jung ("Wild Goose Dreams").

“The skill of reading a play is figuring out, ‘yes, the character’s saying this. But… is the subtext something totally different?’” says Daigneault offering some pro-tips to reading plays including casting parts in your head with familiar faces. “And it's not always easy, sometimes I have to read a play twice before I really get it.”

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