Belarus Free Theatre's
Being Harold Pinter
February 17 - 21, 2011
Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare
A World's Stage Production
from Belarus
adapted and directed by Vladimir Scherban
produced by Nikolai Khalezin
and Natalia Koliada
Nicolai Khalezin
Cofounder
Nicolai Khalezin is a playwright, director and journalist and co-founded Belarus Free Theatre alongside his wife Natalia Kaliada in March 2005. Nicolai was arrested four times for participation in peaceful political protest rallies and theatrical activities. He was taken to trial for organizing a peaceful political street rally. His plays are forbidden to be staged in Belarus. In summer 2010 he was attacked outside his house. The criminal investigation case on the attack was closed down. Nicolai is the author of eleven plays including, Generation Jeans and Here I Am , and has won numerous awards recognizing his contribution to humanitarian theater. Under Belarus Free Theatre he has presented his work at festivals in Riga, Helsinki, Moscow, Paris, Munich, Stockholm, St. Etienne and Warsaw. (See Natalia’s biography for co-productions under Belarus Free Theatre.) He directed and adapted Trash Cuisine, dedicated to the international issue of the death penalty, premiering at Stadsshouwburg, Amsterdam, on October 5, 2012.