CELEBRATING 15 YEARS
ZERKALO MUSICAL THEATER

ABOUT US

Here is the English translation:

No one knows when the first fairy tale appeared, but there is probably no person who does not love them. Fairy tales are a wonderful textbook of life, the first step toward wisdom, and many of them begin with the magical words, “Once upon a time…”. It was with these very words that the unforgettable journey of the Zerkalo Musical Theater began. At the Russian school “International Kids House” in Reston, Virginia, under the attentive guidance of Artistic Director Olga Predit, the theatrical studio “Once Upon a Time” was established. The studio’s first production, A Visit to a Fairy Tale, premiered in November 2010.

The art of theater became an integral part of the young actors’ lives, and the graduates of the 2011–2012 academic year refused to part with their beloved craft. They persuaded their artistic director to continue the classes and create a theater. The students came up with the theater’s name, chose its artistic direction, and the family of Ittai Kahn and Yuliya Karpeyski kindly offered their home for rehearsals. Thus, the Zerkalo Musical Theater was born. Through their performances, its young artists began inviting audiences to look into the mirror of human relationships and reflect on the inner qualities of fairy-tale characters.

Zerkalo Theater is a synthesis of many forms of art: literature, music, dance, and movement. For more than 15 years, Artistic Director and Director Olga Predit and her creative team have been developing their students’ understanding of the fundamentals of acting, helping them take their first steps into the world of theater, and instilling in them a love for the stage and music.

Over the years, the theater has grown from a group of 10 children into a large theatrical studio-school with more than 100 young performers. It now includes seven age groups, ranging from 4 to 21 years old, guided by professional theater educators. The theater’s repertoire features many musical productions and musicals with rich choreography and original costumes. Each year, the young actors delight audiences throughout the Greater Washington area with new performances.

The students are Grand Prix winners of the International Theater Festival in the United States and recipients of numerous awards in various categories.

The company tours extensively and performs across America and abroad. Through their productions, they bring audiences not only joy, but also lessons in kindness, beauty, hard work, and wholehearted dedication to their craft.

Olga Predit continues her collaboration with the Russian school “International Kids House,” where future theater artists begin mastering acting skills.

The groups include bilingual children, and productions are staged in both Russian and English. The young actors adapt scripts in Russian and translate them into English. Over the years, the theater has presented many productions, including:

• Aladdin and The Lord of Fire

• Matrix of Love

• The Dog in the Manger

• Don’t Leave

• You Never Dreamed of It

• Scarlet Sails

• The Hussar’s Matchmaking

• Sold Laughter

• The Little Humpbacked Horse

• Red, Honest, In Love

• Fairy Tales for Every Occasion

• The Star Boy

• The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors

• The Twelve Months

• Thumbelina

• Cinderella

• The Nutcracker

• A Comic Medley Based on I. Krylov’s Fables

• Summer Fair

• How a Puppy Looked for Happiness

• The Snow Queen

• Teremok (The Little House)

• The Cat’s House

• The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats

• Morozko (Jack Frost)

• and others.