In a politically charged, haunting interrogation of theater and the revolutionary impulse, writer-director Guillermo Calderón’s Neva tells the story of Anton Chekhov’s widow, the actress Olga Knipper, who arrives in a dimly lit rehearsal room in St. Petersburg in the winter of 1905. As Olga and two other actors await the rest of the cast, they huddle together, act out scenes from their lives and muse on their art form and love—while unseen striking workers are being gunned down in the streets by the Tsarist regime. Calderón savagely examines the relationship between theater and historical context in this ominous and tightly crafted ensemble work that allows a palpable terror to creep through the theater walls.

Written and directed by Guillermo Calderón

In Spanish with English surtitles.

English translation by Andrea Thome.

RUN TIME: 80 minutes

LOCATION: REDCAT

Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater

631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Map

PARKING: $9 event parking in the Walt Disney Concert Hall parking garage off 2nd Street.