On May 29, 2025, the Ukrainian musical The Hunters and the Hunted was presented in a staged reading format at Open Jar Studios on Broadway, New York City. The event drew a full house, underscoring the growing resonance of Ukrainian stories and the global appetite for cultural works that explore themes of resilience, freedom, and historical memory.
Based on Ivan Bahrianyi’s novel The Hunters and the Hunted (Tyhrolovy), the musical was written and composed by Kyrylo Beskorovainyi, Anton Humaniuk, and Bohdan Reshetilov. Lisa Rafferty directed the staged reading, which featured an American cast. While the full musical includes 28 songs, the New York reading showcased 11 of them and selected dialogue, with English translations by Anna Halas, Kyrylo Beskorovainyi, and Anton Humaniuk. Ukrainian pianist Ruslan Ramazanov provided live accompaniment.
The event was organized in partnership with Nova Ukraine and Razom for Ukraine, and concluded with a 15-minute conversation with the creators and Stew Stewart, Tony Award and two-time Obie Award-winning playwright and performer.
Cast:
- Dominic DaSilva as Gregory Mnohohrishnyi
- Timothy Lawton as Major Medvin
- Kayla Gerogosian as Natalka
- Lauren Gemelli as Fiona, Prisoner 2
- Austin Martin as Prisoner 1, the young man, Arseniev, NKVD officer, Sirko
A Story of Defiance and Hope
Set against the chilling backdrop of Stalinist repression, The Hunters and the Hunted follows the journey of Gregory Mnohohrishnyi—a young Ukrainian political prisoner who dares to escape a death-bound Soviet train headed deep into Siberia’s labor camp. His escape thrusts him into the untamed vastness of the Far East, where nature is both unforgiving and liberating. On the run from the ruthless NKVD, Gregory finds unexpected refuge with the Sirko family—independent, fiercely free tiger hunters who live far from the reach of Soviet control. As Gregory heals, he falls in love with Natalka, Sirko’s daughter. But danger looms: Major Medvin, a relentless NKVD officer, has made it his mission to track Gregory down and extinguish this spark of defiance.
From Kyiv to the World Stage
The production was initially set to premiere at the Kyiv National Academic Operetta’s Theatre in 2022, but russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine forced its postponement. The team resumed work in 2023, and on June 2, the musical officially premiered in Kyiv, where it became part of the theatre’s repertoire and won the prestigious Kyiv Pektoral award. In 2024, the musical won Best Musical Performance in the Opera/Operetta/Musical category at the 6th Ukrainian Theatre Festival and Award “GRA”.
Interesting Facts About the Musical, the Novel, and Ivan Bahrianyi
- International Premiere at Harvard: Before its New York debut, The Hunters and the Hunted had its international premiere as a staged reading at Harvard University’s Lippmann House on April 16, 2025, performed by American actors and accompanied by Ukrainian pianist Ruslan Ramazanov. The event was organized by the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and Kunsht, with support from the House of Europe.
- A Novel with a Legendary Backstory: Ivan Bahrianyi wrote the original novel in just 14 days while hiding from the Gestapo in Western Ukraine during World War II. He later restored the text from memory after fleeing to Germany, where it was published in 1946.
- Autobiographical Roots: The novel is deeply autobiographical. Bahrianyi himself survived two imprisonments in Soviet camps, an experience directly mirrored in the character of Gregory Mnohohrishnyi. Bahrianyi escaped from Soviet authorities and survived in the taiga for almost two years—just as his protagonist does.
- Banned and Celebrated: Bahrianyi’s works were banned in Soviet Ukraine for decades. Only after Ukraine’s independence in 1991 was his name rehabilitated and his literary legacy celebrated.
- A Nobel Nominee: In 1963, the Union of Democratic Ukrainian Youth in Chicago launched a campaign to nominate Bahrianyi for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Many scholars believe he had a real chance, but his sudden death that year interrupted the effort.
- A Symbolic Title: The original title, “Beast Catchers,” was changed to “Tiger Trappers” (and in English, “The Hunters and the Hunted”) to emphasize the power and danger of the taiga, and the moral strength of the Sirko family—symbols of the Ukrainian people’s resilience.
Voices from the Creators and Collaborators
Kyrylo Beskorovainyi, co-author and co-composer:
“The musical is based on the 1944 novel by a Ukrainian dissident, Ivan Bahrianyi, and in many ways mirrors his experience: he was sent to the labor camps in Siberia, went through the torture chambers of the Soviet Union, but eventually escaped abroad. In one of his books, he wrote that while Henry Ford created a line for assembling cars, the Soviet government created a line to dissemble human souls. He knew this line way too well.
In 1959, Bahrianyi consulted the United States House of Representatives, Committee of Un-American Activities, on ‘control of the arts in the communist empire.’ The transcript of the consultation is available online and makes a compelling read. In it, he writes:
‘The Soviet Government considers that art should not be left for art’s sake. Every art should be subordinate to political objectives. Therefore, they are very much against modern paintings and modern musicians.
Many composers suffered persecution because their music did not conform to the party’s objectives.
If an artist or painter writes or paints or composes music individually and not according to the party, he is considered a dangerous enemy of the party.’
The setting of our musical is the time of Soviet terror, but you may ask why it is relevant now. Well, the Russian-Ukrainian war has been lasting for 11 years now, and the full-scale invasion has entered its fourth year. The world has seen the horrific scenes of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, but there are so many occupied cities and villages, people killed and silenced, whose stories we will never learn. Ukraine is fighting for its existence, for its right to be free from the lines of disassembling human souls.
However, this story is also very timely for the United States. It is a wake-up call of what happens when democracy slides back. This is Cassandra’s cry for what follows after the attacks on intellectuals, scientists, journalists, lawyers, artists, civil society, and activists succeed. Tyranny and unfreedom creep in slowly, but when they finally prevail, they take the darkest forms possible.”
Stew Stewart, Tony Award and two-time Obie Award-winning playwright/performer, Professor of the Practice of Musical Theater Writing at Harvard University:
“The Hunter and the Hunted presents us with an example of bravery, which is always relevant to people facing a government that cares more about control than care.
‘Luck Favors the Brave’ has a very American ring to it. It tells us that you create your own story, not the circumstances in which you find yourself. This is an extremely powerful idea.
We tend to think of cowardice and bravery as opposites. For example, ‘She is brave but not me; I am fearful.’ When, in fact, the brave and the cowardly have much in common. The brave are scared, too! They are scared because they are compelled to act. But the line separating the courageous from the cowardly is only a question: ‘Can I live with things this way or not? And if I am to honor my life, I must be brave.’
But none of this would be worth mentioning if the songs were not beautifully written and memorable. And they are.”
Lisa Rafferty, director:
“This beautiful musical speaks to the moment in its journey of courage and resistance. It is a Ukrainian story but it is truly a universal tale in scope and relevance. I’m so honored to be a part of this.”
Nova Ukraine’s Commitment
Nova Ukraine is honored to sponsor this project and help bring Ukrainian voices and stories to the world stage. The full house at Open Jar Studios demonstrates the growing resonance of Ukrainian culture and the universal relevance of stories about bravery, dignity, and hope.
This event was made possible thanks to the support of Nova Ukraine, Razom for Ukraine, and our community partners.
Donate. Impact. Change.
We greatly value your support, and it is indeed crucial. Please consider donating monthly. Your consistent contributions are vital to sustaining our efforts and driving meaningful change over time. Your commitment will make a lasting difference, and we sincerely appreciate your consideration. Donate now or learn how you can help.
