State vs. Natasha Banina

She makes her case; the audience decides her fate. This is State vs. Natasha Banina.

Performed live by Darya Denisova (2020 Elliot Norton Award-winner for Outstanding Actress), State vs. Natasha Banina unfolds as a Russian teenager tells the story of her life in a small-town orphanage, and how her desire to be free led to a crime of passion. From the inside of a “Zoom court room,” she makes unique appeals to the audience/jury, letting them into her world where she dreams of love, family, and her future. Is Natasha guilty of manslaughter? You, the audience, will decide.

Based on Natasha’s Dream by the Russian playwright Yaroslava Pulinovich, this New York Times Critic’s Pick is a brilliant example of how live theatre can break boundaries and shock viewers even when experienced at home on a laptop.