Letter From Artistic Director

Dear friends,

As we step into 2026, we do so with deep gratitude for all that carried us through the past year. 2025 was marked by profound challenges—most notably, the loss of our long-time home—but also by extraordinary perseverance, artistry, and community.

Despite uncertainty, Theater 86 continued to do what it has always done: make theater. Over the past year we mounted The Snow Queen and The Master and Margarita, welcomed Essence Theatre Studio for a powerful guest run of Kholstomer, and brought new life to The Three Musketeers. We closed the year with The Dragon, a production that felt especially resonant in turbulent times.

Alongside these productions, our students shared their work through Theater Lab showcases, and our space remained a place for readings of new plays—incubating voices, ideas, and future work even as the ground beneath us shifted.

We now find ourselves in a period of transition. We are actively searching for a new space to call home, and if you know of a venue, rehearsal room, or potential lead, we would be deeply grateful to hear from you. In the meantime, Theater 86 continues as an itinerant company—moving forward, working, and staying in close conversation with our community. We will share updates as soon as there is news to report.

As we navigate this new chapter, we ask for your continued support. If our work has moved you, challenged you, or offered you a place to gather and reflect, please consider making a tax-deductible donation at the link below. Your generosity helps ensure that the work continues, wherever it may land next.

With your support, the story does not end here. From all of us at Theater 86, we wish you a beautiful start to 2026—filled with health, love, joy, and possibility.

Sincerely,

Aleksey Burago 

Artistic Director