Anna Akhmatova: The Heart Is Not Made of Stone
Akhmatova Production History
A legend in her own time, loved for the brilliance of her poetry and admired for her unwavering resistance to political oppression, Anna Akhmatova was persecuted by the Soviet regime because of her “eroticism, mysticism, and political indifference” to the ideals of the State.
The centerpiece of this theatrical concert is the meeting of Akhmatova with the British philosopher Isaiah Berlin. When Berlin sought out Anna Ahkmatova during his visit to Leningrad after World War II, he did not realize the havoc he would wreak upon her life. The consequence of this visit, the utter ruination that it brought upon her, as well as the great, enduring love that it evoked in her, are traced in a dramatic story interwoven with scenes that include Stalin, the KGB’s surveillance, the final emotional meeting of the two literary giants, and the drama of great music.
Music: Selections from Prokofieff’s Romeo and Juliet (transcribed for violin and piano), Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a theme by Corelli, and the haunting Shostakovich Trio in E Minor.
Written by Eve Wolf
Directed by Donald T. Sanders
Set & Costumes by Vanessa James
Lighting Design by Beverly Emmons
Projection Design by David Bengali