Welcome To The Dragon.

A Synopsis

In a vaguely German, vaguely medieval town, a three-headed dragon has ruled for four centuries, demanding food and an annual maiden as tribute. This year’s victim is Elsa, daughter of Lancelot’s kindly hostess. To his astonishment, both Elsa and her mother accept their fate with cheerful resignation, insisting the dragon isn’t so bad — after all, he once boiled the lake to save the town during a cholera outbreak, and he protects them from other dragons that may still roam the earth. The monster, who frequently assumes human form with a persona for each of his three heads, has even become “one of the folks.”

When Lancelot challenges the dragon, the real resistance comes not only from the beast but from the townspeople themselves. The mayor, feigning madness, the local elites, and the dragon’s flunkies — including Elsa’s former fiancé Henry — conspire to stop him through bribery, intimidation, and even attempted murder. With the secret help of craftsmen, who arm him with a sword, lance, flying carpet, and a hat of invisibility, Lancelot slays the dragon in a brutal fight but collapses, grievously wounded.

A year later, the dragon is gone, but the town has simply traded one master for another. The mayor, suddenly cured of his “madness,” has rebranded himself president and claimed the title of Dragonslayer, rewriting history to erase Lancelot’s triumph. Dissenters languish in prison, Elsa is resigned to marrying the mayor, and the people bow as easily to a man as they once did to a monster. Lancelot’s unexpected return sets things right, but only partly: the impostors are punished, Elsa is freed, yet the knight reminds them that the hardest task remains — the dragon inside each of them must still be slain.

A graduate of Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS), Aleksey Burago studied under the world famous theater director Pytor Fomenko. The New York Times has called his work “visually stunning…its simplicity is like a tiny, finely honed blade.” Aleksey has directed many productions to critical acclaim in Europe and America, including Beyond Recognition, a play about Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, which had a sold-out run at the prestigious Hermitage Theatre in  St. Petersburg. His television production of Alexander Pushkin’s Queen of Spades (Moscow TV) was broadcast across the country and received rave reviews. In the early 90’s, Aleksey left Russia and emigrated to New York for a better life. He founded Theater 86, then known as Russian Arts Theater and Studio, hoping to share his love and knowledge of Russian literature and the rich traditions of theater training with American audiences. In the capital of the theater world, Aleksey has directed over sixty productions, among them On the Eve (Obie Nominee), Ah, My Dear Anderson (Time Out NY Critic’s Pick), Gamblers, The Overcoat, Crime and Punishment, Uncle Vanya, Dante’s Inferno, and Mozart and Salieri. His latest production of Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, Or, The Devil Comes to Moscow enjoyed four sold-out runs and was praised by Charles Isherwood of Wall Street Journal as “maliciously inventive…The performances are ripe, antic, and enjoyably over-the-top, in keeping with the spirit of Bulgakov’s book. It can be described in many ways—satiric, absurdist, fanciful, grotesque, bizarre—but subtle or realistic it definitely, and exuberantly, is not.” Aleksey is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Best Director Award at the Moscow Annual Festival of Classical Plays, Best Director Award at the St. Petersburg Comedy Festival, and the Best Show Award at the International United Solo Festival in NYC. Additionally, Aleksey's creation of Billy Bob Boils the Sea was selected to represent the United States at the 9th International Ordu Youth and Children’s Festival in Turkey. As a teacher, Aleksey has taught around the world, including Theatre Academy and Conservatory in St. Petersburg, GITIS Scandinavia in Denmark, Acting Without Acting Festival in Mexico, Theater Communications Laboratory in Japan, Bilkent University in Turkey, Manhattanville College and HB Studio in New York City. He is currently on faculty at Fordham University where he teaches the works of his favorite writer Anton Chekhov. 

Born in the Soviet Union, in the city of Yessentuki, Valery graduated from State Repin Academy of Art in St. Petersburg. Yershov's art received international recognition when he joined Furmanny Lane in Russia, Europe and the Americas. His works have been shown as part of the international Art Armory Show, auctioned in Sotheby's and Phillips houses, and held in many private collections and museums. In his ironic realism, Yershov utilizes exaggerated figures, rich textures and bright colors. His flamboyant paintings strike and amaze the viewer's imagination, appealing on both analytical and emotional levels while illuminating many aspects of human experience. For more information about Valery's work, please visit http://valery-yershov.herokuapp.com/collections

Born in Kazan, Russia, Evgeny Lvovich Schwartz (1896–1958) became one of the most imaginative and daring dramatists of the Soviet era. He wrote more than twenty plays and numerous screenplays, often in collaboration with fellow satirist Nikolai Erdman.

Originally trained in law at Moscow University, Schwartz soon turned to poetry, theater, and satire. He became known for transforming fairy-tale forms into sharp political parables — works that function both as comedies and as biting critiques of authoritarian power.

His play The Dragon was first staged in 1944 but swiftly banned for its thinly veiled allegory. Over time, Schwartz fell into disfavor during Stalin’s purges and the Soviet campaign against “rootless cosmopolitans,” which curtailed the performance of much of his later work.

Despite censorship, Schwartz’s legacy endures. His plays — especially The Dragon, The Shadow, and The Ordinary Miracle — remain celebrated for their fearless satire, moral urgency, and ability to fuse whimsy with sharp political critique.

Hazen Cuyler (Heinrich) Hazen is an actor, director, teacher, and filmmaker. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Greenhouse Ensemble, a theatre, film, art, and music company on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Hazen is a board member of Impact Theatre Company, teaches acting and theatre to students from Kindergarten through highschool in New York City Public Schools, and develops educational programming with Goddard Riverside Community Centers. He teaches acting for professional actors at The Greenhouse Ensemble.

Outside of his work with Greenhouse, Hazen works alongside organizations and individuals to create video content for various projects. 

As a writer, he has been published with The West Side Rag, The Indypendent, I Love The Upper West Side, East Side Feed, and Theatre Pizzazz.

Michael Donaldson (Cat) is an actor based in New York City. His previous work at Theater 86 include The Gamblers, The Seagull, Three Sisters, Crime and Punishment, Lady with the Lap Dog; My Uncle Chekhov and three productions of The Master and Margarita.

James Hallett (Dragon) is delighted to be working once again under the direction of Aleksey Burago, having previously collaborated on The Queen of Spades, An Absolutely Happy Village, and Uncle Vanya. James’s career spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater, television, and film. Recent screen credits include 021, a thriller set in Afghanistan; Body Complete, a Bosnian thriller; and Universal’s The Little Rascals Save the Day. James made his Broadway debut under the direction of James Lapine in The Diary of Anne Frank, with Natalie Portman. Favorite stage roles include Uncle Vanya, Macbeth, Trigorin, Sir Toby Belch, Captain Scott (in Terra Nova), Lopakhin, and George Tesman. James earned a B.A. in English Literature from Wesleyan University and an M.F.A. in Acting from the Yale School of Drama.

Sarah O'Donnell (Charlemagnia) is a graduate of NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) and worked extensively in Australian theater, television and radio. Stage credits include Desdemona in Othello for the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, Stella in A Streetcar named Desire for the Melbourne Theatre Company, Masha in The Seagull for the South Australian Theatre Company, a national tour with Barry Humphries’ Life and Death of Sandy Stone, and various contemporary Australian works at Malthouse Theatre, Kickhouse Theatre and La Mama. Her time living in Russia immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union and discovering Russian theater, art and culture was a life changing experience. She now lives in New York and is realizing a long-cherished dream to study acting from this tradition, under the tutelage of Aleksey Burago at Theater 86. Previous appearances at Theater 86 include Animal Farm, Diary of a Madman, Viy, Master and Margarita, The Three Musketeers, and Dante's Inferno.

Ariel Polanco (Donkey) is thrilled to return to Theater 86. His work as an artist has taken him beyond New York City, and has performed domestically in North Carolina and Texas, as well as internationally, in Italy, Turkey, and Japan. Ariel was last seen performing in NYC and Provincetown in Tennessee Williams’ Battle of Angels. Select stage credits with Theater 86 include: The Snow Queen, Dante's Inferno, The Rise and Fall of Macondo, Enemies of the People, The Master and Margarita, Lady with a Lap Dog with Jokes and a Happy Ending, Three Sisters, and Avenue of Wonder. He would like to extend his gratitude to Aleksey Burago, Di Zhu and his fellow cast mates and theater crew.

Mark K. Simmons (Burgomaster) is ecstatic to return once again to the stage for the 7th time with his Theater 86 family! Mark was last seen here as Cardinal Richelieu in the production of The Three Musketeers and had been seen previously as the Master in Master and Margarita,  pig-tator Napoleon in Animal Farm and Virgil in Inferno. In his over 40 years on stage, Mark has played everything from Count Dracula to Jesus. He continues to be thankful for the love and support of his wife Teresa and his son Michael!

Tom Schubert (Lancelot) was last seen in The Three Musketeer. Other credits at Theater 86 include The Master and Margarita (Woland), Dante’s Inferno (Dante Alighieri), Diary of a Madman (Poprishchin), Viy (Homa Brut), The Seagull (Trigorin), etc. He studies voice with Dr. Elena Mindlina. More on his stage, voice and screen work at www.tomschubert.com

Di Zhu (Elsa) is a Chinese-American actress and classical pianist. Di’s work in the theater has taken her to stages throughout New York City, as well as London, Scotland, Turkey and Japan. Select stage appearances include The Three Musketeers, Master and Margarita, Dante’s Inferno, Mozart and Salieri, Viy, The Waiter & The Slut, The Overcoat, Lambs For Slaughter, The Rise and Fall of Macondo, Enemies Of The People, Three Sisters, Crime and Punishment, Uncle Vanya, and The Seagull. She has also performed on stage in Selected Shorts Live at Symphony Space (with Rainn Wilson and Cynthia Nixon),  Di’s film and TV credits include Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (opposite Tina Fey and Margot Robbie), The Blindspot, Katy Keene, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (opposite Tom Hanks) and WeCrashed (opposite Jared Leto). Di wishes to thank her incredible cast mates, Aleksey Burago, and the many supporters of Theater 86 who inspire her to keep going! www.whoisdi.com

It takes a village to build a show. It takes an even bigger village when it comes to creating indie theater! We are super grateful to everyone who made this project a reality. Thank you to the staff and friends at West Park Presbyterian Church, Materials For The Arts as well as Vladimir Andreyeev, Neno Belsoi, Boris Brownstein, Michel Chahade, Victoria Furman, Michael Gorbovitski, Lenore Harris, Derya Karatas, Marina Kovalyov, Alexander Langadakis, Madeline Naylor, Elena Mindlina, Yanina Panchishina, Danijela Popovic, Julie Skarratt, Robert Stein, Margaret Segal, Tracey Toth, and Andrey Tsers!