Unique Theater Supports Ukrainian Orphanage

Unique Theater Supports Ukrainian Orphanage

The Play: “Baudelaire’s passion” lunges into the depths of underworld where God and Satan fight for the soul of the Poet, king of Parisian reverlers, Charles Baudelaire. It explores the human and artistic trials of the great French poet, based on his life, showing the poet’s unique path towards creative victories and defeats so virtuously depicted in his book “The Flowers of Evil”. Our non-profit company "New Wave Arts" is producing the original play, original story, original plot and original music about a very original man!

The Flowers of Evil, an infamous book written by the "enfant terrible" and an illustrious bohemian of mid-19th century Paris. Flowers of Evil is now being judged together with its author by God and Satan. Who will win the fight for his soul? St. Peter and Satan look at Baudelaire's life and try to judge how the poet lived and how the poet loved. His women and his friends are part of this otherworldly supernatural court! play will showcase the talents of a diverse cast and crew, a fascinating international story, serendipitously brought together by Henry Keen with actors from Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Armenia, France etc… a true soup of global culture intermixing in this cultural capital of the world – New York!

Our production will provide help to the Ukranian orphanage, supporting Children's Home in Kharkiv.

The unique theatrical play will be performed at The Cullum Theatre, part of the American Actors Theater Company, situated in the center of Manhattan in New York City, whose directors and trustees include Robert De Niro, Vincent Sardi, and many other famous American actors under the artistic direction and its founder of James Jennings who has produced the works of over 965 new playwrights over the past 46 years.

Our Story

His name is Gennady Kurkin, alias Henry Keene. As a writer, he collaborated with American Hollywood studios and various European projects as well as in China, made acclaimed short documentaries, wrote a psychological thriller bought by a well-known European studio for filming and then…

The War in Ukraine!

His girlfriend is Ukrainian, and she was there. And everything was left in the past - the movies, the studios, the contracts… The future was unknown and the present became inevitable - he buys a bulletproof vest and helmet, takes his camera and leaves for Ukraine with a volunteer mission – to deliver rare medicines and clothes to children and combatants of the AFU, but he dreams of one thing only: to bring her home.

On the road, he meets some amazing people - among them Simon Schuster, a leading journalist for TIME magazine and personal friend of President Zelensky. Together with Simon, they make their way to Kiev. There he meets Sergei Kapustin, director of the ARTEC International Center for Children, who helps 165 orphans evacuate from Donetsk, near Kiev who have been bombed every day since February 24, 2022. Henry and Sergei manage to evacuate the children again – bringing them to Western Ukraine, living with them for two months in difficult conditions - often without water, heat or electricity. Henry decides to film everything—struggles, drugs, escapes, survival, love stories, lost lives, wounded soldiers, dying children- The War!

(See link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k4sAjJ0pE8)

Today Henry is still there, in Ukraine, in Kiev, working as a journalist, news anchor and war correspondent for FREEDOM TV (see link: https://youtu.be/JQixsXGRBso).

Henry wrote our play, “Baudelaire’s passion”, finishing the last chapters in unbearable conditions of the war, under the sounds of sirens, under flying bullets and roaring tanks, under the horrifying cries of men, women and children…

The play, produced by us, a non-profit production company, New Wave Arts, will premiere in New York and Kiev in Ukrainian, bringing the two capitals of the world together.

And Henry’s love will be there together with him in the audience.

And the portion of the proceeds from the show will go to help the very children of Ukraine who need it so badly.

(see link: https://americantheatreofactors.org/?page_id=351).

We are organizing a fundraising campaign to raise money for the play from the proceeds of which we will help the children of Ukraine who suffered the consequences of the war.

Our production company “New Wave Arts” (see link: Newwavearts.net) and the producers of the play, pledge to patronize the Children's Home in Kharkov with the help of Henry Keen, who provided directly from Ukraine all the information about the orphanage and their urgent needs. Here is the letter that came from the Kharkov Orphanage: (see attached).

However, as with any artistic endeavor, putting on a show comes with its own set of financial challenges. That's why we are turning to you for help. We are seeking to raise funds through crowdfunding to cover the expenses of our production.

Your contribution, no matter how big or small, will go a long way in making our play a reality. With your support, we will be able to create an immersive theatrical experience that will leave a lasting impact on our audience and will be able to make our contribution for the benefit of the struggling children of Ukraine.

We are grateful for any support you can give us, whether it's through a monetary donation or by sharing our campaign with your friends and family.

We humbly ask everyone who has a sense of human compassion to take part in this action.