From Cannes Recognition to Paris Debut
Eugenia Kuzmina, recently honored with the Best Actress Award in the short film category at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, is set to direct her first major theatrical project in Paris. On October 1, 2025, Kuzmina will present a reimagined adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology” at the Apollo Theatre. The performance coincides with the centenary celebration of the play’s original publication and delivers a message that resonates in today’s climate of global unrest.
The production is designed as an urgent call for peace, spanning a timeline that begins in 1915 and extends to 2025. Kuzmina’s creative approach places timeless human stories of love, regret, ambition, and reconciliation against the contemporary backdrop of conflict and the search for unity.
A Timeless Work Reframed for 2025
“Spoon River Anthology,” first published in 1915, presents an imagined community where the dead recount their stories from beyond the grave. Through their voices, audiences encounter a mosaic of human experience—filled with triumphs, sorrows, and moral dilemmas. Kuzmina’s adaptation aims to bridge the historical and the contemporary, weaving narratives of the past with modern urgency.
“The themes are as relevant today as they were a hundred years ago,” Kuzmina explained. “This project is about the persistence of humanity through war, change, and time. For me, adapting this piece was a way to connect voices of the past with the challenges of the present.”
The October 1 performance at the Apollo Theatre will bring together an international ensemble of eighteen actors from New York, London, Los Angeles, and Paris, uniting global talent for one night only.
The Cast and Creative Team
Kuzmina not only directs but also performs in the production, supported by an established team of producers and co-creators.
Producers
Director
Co-Director
- Clinton H. Wallace
Art Director
Breck A. Graham
Dance Choreography
Charlene Rose
Designers
Muzy Burton , among others to be mentioned
Cast
- Noah Burton
- Thomas Hardy
- Caitlin McEachran
- Shannon Day
- Elisa Bachir Bey
- Habib G. Guabintani
- Glumur Febdig
- Kenny Burawudi
- Sabrina Dubois
- Alexandra Celestin
- Yvonne Pollack
- Randy Jernidier
- Claire Rose
- Ines Ben Sala
- Milla Cochran
- Eugenia Kuzmina
The cast, drawn from across continents, brings together performers with backgrounds in film, theater, and performance art, underscoring the production’s international and collaborative spirit.
Fashion Meets Theatre During Paris Fashion Week
In parallel with Paris Fashion Week, several producers are supporting the project by dressing the cast, linking the city’s heritage of style with theatrical expression. This collaboration highlights the synergy between fashion and performance, two creative industries rooted in storytelling and identity.
The integration of design into the production emphasizes the timelessness of “Spoon River Anthology,” with costumes reflecting the century-long span from 1915 to 2025. Each era is represented not only in dialogue and staging, but also in aesthetic details that visually connect audiences to the historical arc of the piece.
About Eugenia Kuzmina
Eugenia Kuzmina is a Russian-American actress, model, comedian, and author. She has appeared in films such as “Fading Gigolo,” “Rock the Kasbah,” “Bad Moms,” “The Gentlemen,” and “Operation Fortune,” alongside television roles in “True Blood,” “New Girl,” and “Castle.” A supermodel for luxury brands including Cartier, Dior, Hermès, and L’Oréal, she has also pursued comedy, performing at The Comedy Store, Improv, and The Laugh Factory, and co-created the touring show “Models of Comedy.”
In 2025, Kuzmina received the Best Actress Award at Cannes in the short film category. Her upcoming directorial debut with “Spoon River Anthology” in Paris marks a new chapter in her multifaceted career.
Media Contact
Eugenia Kuzmina
Phone: 310-869-9048
Email: eugeniakuzmina@live.com
Website: www.eugenia-kuzmina.com
Instagram: @eugeniakuzmina