Opening November 5th!
Theater 86 opens its new permanent Midtown Manhattan home with a bold stage adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s darkly comic masterpiece, Heart of a Dog, directed by founder and Artistic Director Aleksey Burago.
Written in 1925, Heart of a Dog follows a celebrated Moscow surgeon whose experiment transforms a stray dog into a man—with chaotic and unsettling consequences. Blending satire, absurdist humor, and philosophical inquiry, Bulgakov’s story explores scientific ambition, social engineering, and the dangers of attempting to redesign human nature.
The production marks a major new chapter for Theater 86. After losing its longtime performance space at West-Park Presbyterian Church, the award-winning nonprofit continued presenting work across New York City without a dedicated home. Now, Theater 86 once again has a permanent stage.
The company has a long artistic connection to Bulgakov. Burago’s adaptation of The Master and Margarita, or, The Devil Comes to Moscow returned for four sold-out engagements, and The New York Times has described his work as “visually stunning.”
Opening Night on November 5 will be followed by a celebration with the cast and creative team.
Cast
Hazen Cuyler, Michael Donaldson, James Hallett, Ariel Polanco, Tom Schubert, Mark K. Simmons, and Di Zhu
Creative Team
Directed by Aleksey Burago
Set design by Valery Yershov
Theater Lab: Workshop for Actors
With Aleksey Burago
Join us for this 8-week workshop designed to put the principles of theater-making into practice. We will explore some of Stanislavsky’s lesser-discussed ideas, including theater ethics, ensemble work, and finding the joy of acting. Led by critically acclaimed director Aleksey Burago, this workshop examines essential questions: What does it mean to be an actor today? How can we move beyond our own clichés and develop true artistry in our work?
Selected scenes will be featured in an end-of-term presentation for an invited audience.