The Women of Cheboksary (2026 New Works Lab)

Written by Emily Schoenbeck

Directed by Jimmy Bickerstaff

As the Russian village of Cheboksary prepares to celebrate their annual Kupala festival, a messenger sent on behalf of Ivan the Terrible arrives and announces that the tsar has decided to take a Russian bride and is having all of the virtuous maidens of Russia rounded up to compete for his hand in marriage at the palace. When a young woman of the town does not want to be taken, she and a recently betrothed couple decide to create a fake scandal to let her stay. But how far are they willing to go to keep her in Cheboksary?

Content Advisory: This script does contain violence and some suggestive themes.

This staged reading is part of our New Works Lab. These readings do not have sets or costuming, but are rehearsed read-throughs of a script, allowing you to focus on the text and story. This is also a unique opportunity to be in the room while theatre is developed: the playwright will be present and able to ask and answer questions from the director, actors, and audience after the show. If you'd like to see more than one of these shows, we highly encourage you to check out our Festival Passes, and you can read more about our New Works Lab here.

Ticket Policies and Guidelines

Accessibility:  Because the venue is a registered historic building, it is not up to date on handicap accessibility. The venue requires usage of stairs and does not have an elevator. An usher would be happy to provide support with the stairs. The readings also will make use of minimal amplification support, so please keep these restrictions in mind as you buy tickets. Please reach out to [email protected] with any additional questions or ways we can support you.

Age/Children Policy: We LOVE having children in our audiences: it's why we have our family friendly preview for our mainstage shows. However, our New Works Lab is geared far more toward adults. Children under the age of 12 may find the staged readings (without costumes, staging, or sets) less engaging or harder to follow than a mainstage show. Our venue also does not have any enclosed spaces for you to use if your child needs quieting, and it has excellent acoustics: great for theater, but will amplify any noises that children make during the performances. We suggest that children under 12 stay home for these readings, but encourage you to use your best judgement before bringing children to the New Works Lab, out of respect for the actors onstage and your fellow audience members.