Reviews

A poster for Olga Mukhina's play Tanya Tanya.

This page contains reviews or information about my books or productions done of my translations and plays. (Listings lead with book reviews, followed by reviews of my own work and then reviews of my translations.)

REVIEWS/ACCOUNTS of BOOKS

A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War: 20 Short Works by Ukrainian Playwrights (Laertes Press)

Dana Rufolo, “A Dictionary of Emotions in A Time of War – Twenty Short Works by Ukrainian Playwrights edited by John Freedman,” Plays International & Europe (Feb. 15, 2023).
Blair Ruble, "Acting Out Wartime Emotions," Wilson Center Focus Ukraine (March 17, 2023).

Real and Phantom Pains: An Anthology of New Russian Drama (New Academia Publishing).

An interview with me about Phantom Pains ran in Izvestia on or around Aug. 5, 2014. The link was http://izvestia.ru/news/574582 but it is now not functional.
Sasha Dugdale, "Another Class," review of Real and Phantom Pains, Times Literary Supplement (May 19, 2015).
I was asked to write a piece about Real and Phantom Pains for the AATSEEL Newsletter. It was titled "Closing the Book on an Era in Russian Theater History," and published in October 2014.
Nikolay Kornatsky, "John Freedman: 'Theater can bring Russia closer to America and America closer to Russia'," a translation of the piece that originally ran in Izvestia. It was published in the Russia Beyond supplements in the US, including the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Dana Rufolo, "Real and Phantom Pains: An Anthology of New Russian Drama edited by John Freedman," Plays International & Europe (Summer 2020).

Provoking Theater: Kama Ginkas Directs (Smith & Kraus).

Excerpts from the book published on The Theatre Times website, Nov. 1, 2017.

REVIEWS/ACCOUNTS OF MY WRITING

Dancing, Not Dead

Official announcement that this play of mine was named winner of the Global Playwright Contest run by The Internationalists, including information about the play and about the readings of it that were held in various countries in the fall of 2011.
A Blog conversation between Doug Howe, Ana Margineanu and Jeremy Lydic prior to the New York reading of Dancing, Not Dead at the end of October, 2011.
A feature in a hometown newspaper about my writing of Dancing, Not Dead.

The Firebird

Sandy MacDonald reviews Stacy Klein's production of The Firebird at Double Edge Theatre in the Boston Globe, 2010.
Terry Byrne reviews Stacy Klein's production of The Firebird at Double Edge in summer 2010.

Five Funny Tales from the Heart of Buenos Aires

Maria Daniela Yaccar in the Buenos Aires newspaper Pagina/12 writes a feature about two Argentinean artists, Monina Bonelli and Mariano Tenconi Blanco, who participated in Pop Up Theatrics' Long Distance Affair skype-theater project. Monina, working with director Benjamin Mosse, performed by skype my short play Five Funny Tales from the Heart of Buenos Aires for audiences in New York throughout the month of February. Here is the Spanish-language original of the article.

REVIEWS/ACCOUNTS OF MY TRANSLATIONS

The Black Monk

Claire Canavan, in Austin Arts 360, reviews Graham Schmidt's production for Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX, of We Play Chekhov, the first half of which consisted of my translation of Kama Ginkas's dramatization of Anton Chekhov's The Black Monk.
Jeff Davis, in Broadwayworld.com, reviews Graham Schmidt's production for Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX, of We Play Chekhov, the first half of which comprised my translation of Kama Ginkas's dramatization of Anton Chekhov's The Black Monk.
Stacy Alexander Smith, in the Austin Chronicle, reviews Graham Schmidt's production for Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX, of We Play Chekhov, including my translation of Kama Ginkas's dramatization of Chekhov's The Black Monk. NOTE: I can't get this link to open in Russia, but I think that's due to an overactive firewall on the Chronicle site. I am assured that this review does, in fact, exist.

Dulcey and Roxy at City Hall

Aaron Sanders writes a preview blog about Graham Schmidt and Breaking String Theater's reading of Maksym Kurochkin's Dulcey and Roxy at City Hall in early November in Austin, TX.
Aaron Sanders writes a second blog about the development process that Graham Schmidt and Breaking String Theater applied to Maksym Kurochkin's Dulcey and Roxy at City Hall in early November.
Aaron Sanders blogs an interview he did with me on the workshop of Dulcey and Roxy at City Hall, conducted by Graham Schmidt in November 2013.
Robert Faires previews Graham Schmidt's production of Maksym Kurochkin's Dulcey and Roxy at City Hall, a production of Breaking String Theater, May 2014.
David Glen Robinson reviews Graham Schmidt's production of Maksym Kurochkin's Dulcey and Roxy at City Hall, a production of Breaking String Theater, May 2014.
Aaron Sanders writes a response to Graham Schmidt's production of Maksym Kurochkin's Dulcey and Roxy at City Hall, a production of Breaking String Theater, May 2014.
Jessica Hinds-Bond reviews Graham Schmidt's production of Maksym Kurochkin's Dulcey and Roxy at City Hall for Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX, in Theatre Journal 67.2 (2015): 343-6.

Flying

Go here to read a review by Claire Christine Spera of Olga Mukhina's Flying in my translation and under Graham Schmidt's direction at Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX.
Go here to read a review of Olga Mukhina's Flying in my translation and under Graham Schmidt's direction at Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX.
Go here to read a review by Timothy Braun of Olga Mukhina's Flying in my translation and under Graham Schmidt's direction at Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX.
Go here to read a review by Ryan E. Johnson of Olga Mukhina's Flying as directed by Graham Schmidt at Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX.
Go here to read a review by Bastion Carboni of Olga Mukhina's Flying as directed by Graham Schmidt at Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX.
Pat Reddick reviews Diana Manole's production of Olga Mukhina's Flying for the Cultural Studies Department of Trent University, Canada.

I am Me

Kelly Johnston, writing on the Eye on the Arts webpage, reviews Nicole Kontolefa's production/performance of Alexandra Chichkanova's I am Me for Studio 6 in New York, Fall 2014.
Stage Buddy reviews Nicole Kontolefa's production/performance of Alexandra Chichkanova's I am Me for Studio 6 in New York, Fall 2014.
Raphael Schklowsky, on NITEnews, previews Nicole Kontolefa's production/performance of Alexandra Chichkanova's I am Me for Studio 6 in New York, Fall 2014.
Jonathan Mandell, in a piece on intimacy in theater on Howlround, references Nicole Kontolefa's production/performance of Alexandra Chichkanova's I am Me for Studio 6 in New York, Fall 2014.

I am the Machine Gunner (See also Strike below)

Go here to read a review by Adrienne Lawrence of David M. White's production for Generous Company of Yury Klavdiev's I am the Machine Gunner in the Frederick News-Post.
Go here to read a review by Tim Smith of David M. White's production for Generous Company of Yury Klavdiev's I am the Machine Gunner in the Baltimore Sun.
Go here to listen to a review by J. Wynn Rousuck of David M. White's production for Generous Company of Yury Klavdiev's I am the Machine Gunner on the WYPR radio station.

Insulted. Belarus.

A reading of this play by Rogue Machine Theater in Los Angeles is chosen as a Weekend Pick by the LA Times.
Michele Berdy writes about the Worldwide Reading project of Insulted. Belarus in The Moscow Times.
My intro to a publication of an excerpt from Insulted. Belarus in Contemporary Theatre's Interventions/Dispatches platform.
Boston Globe feature on Arlekin Player's reading of Insulted. Belarus.
The Theatre Times profiles a reading of Insulted. Belarus in the Worldwide Readings project.
Numerous accounts have been published about readings/productions in language other than English. They can be found at: Ukraine1, Ukraine2, Ukraine3, Ukraine4, Ukraine5, Czechia1, Belarus1, Sweden1, Romania1, Belarus2, Belgium1.

The Natasha Plays

Go here to read John Barry's review of Yaroslava Pulinovich's The Natasha Plays (Natasha's Dream and I Won) as staged by Stephen Nunns at Towson University.
Helen Shaw writes a brief blog about Stephen Nunns' production of Yaroslava Pulinovich's plays at the Modicum Festival in New York City in July 2011.
Videos and photos of Arlekin Players' production of Natasha's Dream February 2017.
Erik Niklander writers about Arliekin Players' February 2017 production of Yaroslava Pulinovich's Natasha's Dream for HowlRound.

Rothschild's Fiddle - supertitles

Malcom Johnson reviews Kama Ginkas's production of Anton Chekhov's Rothschild's Fiddle, produced by the Moscow Young Generation Theater and Yale Repertory Theater.
Alvin Klein of the New York Times reviews Kama Ginkas's production of Anton Chekhov's Rothschild's Fiddle, produced by the Moscow Young Generation Theater and Yale Repertory Theater in January 2004.
Christopher Arnott of the New Haven Advocate reviews Kama Ginkas's production of Anton Chekhov's Rothschild's Fiddle, produced by the Moscow Young Generation Theater and Yale Repertory Theater in January 2004.
Joanne Greco Rochman of the Sunday Republican reviews Kama Ginkas's production of Anton Chekhov's Rothschild's Fiddle, produced by the Moscow Young Generation Theater and Yale Repertory Theater in January 2004.

The Russian National Postal Service

Go here to read a review by Jolene Munch of Paul Mullins's production of Oleg Bogaev's The Russian National Postal Service at the Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., 2004.
Go here to read a review by Peter Marks of Paul Mullins's production of Oleg Bogaev's The Russian National Postal Service, starring Floyd King, at the Studio Theater in DC.
Go here to read a review by Rich See of Paul Mullins's production of Oleg Bogaev's The Russian National Postal Service, starring Floyd King, at the Studio Theater in D.C.
Go here to read a review by Jayne Blanchard of Paul Mullins's production of Oleg Bogaev's The Russian National Postal Service, starring Floyd King, at the Studio Theater in D.C.
Go here to read a review by Lisa Troshinsky of Paul Mullins's production of Oleg Bogaev's The Russian National Postal Service, starring Floyd King, at the Studio Theater in D.C.

The Schooling of Bento Bonchev

Dawn Youngs writes a preview of Graham Schmidt's production of Maksym Kurochkin's The Schooling of Bento Bonchev in my translation at Breaking String Theater in Austin, TX.
Graham Schmidt writes a blog preview of his own production of Maksym Kurochkin's The Schooling of Bento Bonchev at Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX.
Jillian Owens reviews Maksym Kurochkin's The Schooling of Bento Bonchev at Breaking String Theater in Austin, TX, as directed by Graham Schmidt.
Michael Meigs reviews Maksym Kurochkin's The Schooling of Bento Bonchev at Breaking String Theater in Austin, TX, as directed by Graham Schmidt.
Ryan E. Johnson reviews Maksym Kurochkin's The Schooling of Bento Bonchev at Breaking String Theater in Austin, TX, as directed by Graham Schmidt.

Strike (I Am the Machine Gunner & Martial Arts)

Brian Paul Scipione reviews Graham Schmidt's production of Strike, combining two plays by Yury Klavdiev (I Am the Machine Gunner translated by Freedman and Martial Arts translated by David M. White) at Breaking String Theater, Austin, TX, in February 2013.

The Suicide

Go here to read a review by Tim Treanor of Mark Krikstan's production of Nikolai Erdman's The Suicide at 1st Stage Theater in McLean, VA.
Go here to see the text of a short radio review by Laura and Mike Clark of Mark Krikstan's production of Nikolai Erdman's The Suicide at 1st Stage Theater in McLean, VA.