Childhood friends team up to produce "Macbeth" in New York City (08/08/04)

Childhood friends team up to produce "Macbeth" in New York City

by Roxolana Woloszyn

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Adriana Iwashko and Tania Hryckowian, two lifelong friends who once participated in the "theater" less than enthusiastically are now executive producer and producer, respectively, of "Macbeth" for the Willful Company in New York City.

According to Ms. Iwashko, "Trying to get out of SUM's (Ukrainian American Youth Association) annual Christmas pageant was something Tania and I tried to do year after year. It never worked, and one year we shamefully had to write the words on our hands because we hadn't memorized our verses. But back then, standing on stage I never thought that 15 years into the future I would be enforcing deadlines on our actors to memorize their lines. Curious and almost funny how things end up ..."

In director Sherry Saab's rendition of "Macbeth," Scotland is a decaying insane asylum, with familiar characters playing altered roles. King Duncan acts as the paranoid and mad institution's head administrator, while Macbeth and Banquo torture their fellow patients. The Weird Sisters are up to their usual mischief, as they use Macbeth to destroy the fragile society in which all of these characters live.

"Macbeth" opens on Friday, August 13, and runs through August 29. The end of the three-week show dovetails into the Republican National Convention, mixing art and politics quite appropriately. Shows can be seen on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and on Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m at the Actor's Theater Workshop, 145 W. 28th St. Tickets can be purchased online at www.theatermania.com or by calling (212) 352-3101. Tickets cost $15 if purchased in advance, and $18 at the door.

The Willful Company "is dedicated to bringing dynamic and provocative productions of Shakespeare and classic authors to all audiences," according to its website, www.willfulcompany.com. Ms. Iwashko hopes to establish a working ensemble theater residency with this company.

The company's production of "Hamlet" (August 2001) at Theatre 22 won it the 2002 OOBR Award. The OOBR, or off-off-broadway review, is the only one of its kind- a publication that exclusively reviews off-off-broadway shows.

"Macbeth's" executive producer, 24 year-old Ms. Iwashko, started producing shows when she was 21. Currently, she is pursuing a master of arts in the history of decorative arts and design, via a program offered jointly by the Parsons School of Design, Cooper-Hewitt and The National Design Museum with the Smithsonian Associates. Ms. Iwashko's focus is contemporary design (1920s-present) with a special interest in components of masculine versus feminine design. With this degree Ms. Iwashko hopes to work at an auction house such as Christie's, become a professor once she gets her doctorate and be a freelance writer for decorative arts magazines.

In terms of future goals in the theater, Ms. Iwashko hopes to produce a Broadway show - perhaps an adaptation of Taras Bulba. This story does not stray far from Ms. Iwashko's interest in Shakespeare because she believes, "It also has a Shakespeare - like theme (which I love) with Taras' son and the Polish noblewoman falling in love."

Ms. Hryckowian graduated from Rutgers and currently works for "Late Night with Conan O'Brian" as the audience coordinator. She was also featured in some of the show's skits which can be seen in re-runs. Ms. Hryckowian was recently promoted to clip researcher, a position in which she will handle most of the video clips for the show and work with producers, editors and writers. Ms. Hryckowian hopes to acquire a position in upper management of some sort, in comedic television production or development.

This ambitious 25-year-old is also interested in owning her own production company for theater, film or television. Ms. Hryckowian also said, "My ultimate dream would be to win an Emmy and someday teach my expertise at a top university."

The Willful Company's "Macbeth" is directed by Sherry Saab and produced by Ms. Iwashko, with Maha Saab's set and costume designs - the same team that helped Hamlet win its award.

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