The Crone Chronicles: Reclaiming the Story of Baba Yaga

Transport to the misty, birch tree-lined forests of Eastern Europe as a ragteam team of storytellers reexamine the larger-than-life tale of Baba Yaga, the iconic witch of Slavic folklore.

This play showcases the power of physical theatre storytelling to create an immersive experience. Our physicality of the performance draws heavily from the teachings of Jacques LeCoq. We use our bodies to convey emotion, meaning, and character to create a more dynamic and engaging performance. Throughout the show, we generate sound with folly, using our bodies and musical props to immerse the audience in the world of the story. The minimal set design also allows the audience to use their imagination and fill in the blanks.

Come get in on the conversation as we flip the script on everyone in the room, co-creating new fairytales in real time.

Show Production History

The Crone Chronicles had its first workshop production at the Pride Arts Center in Chicago in January 2023. The show was conceived by Danielle Levsky, produced by Josh Levine and Danielle Levsky, directed by Alice Da Cunha, and devised and performed by Josh Levine, Danielle Levsky, Ashley Elizabeth Allen, Carolyn Moore, Sivan Spector, and Nati Via. A full recording of this workshop production is available here.

The Crone Chronicles was then performed at the inaugural PhysFestNYC at the Stella Adler Center in January 2024, featuring NYC’s best physical theater performances, workshops, and talks. The show was produced by Yeda Theatre Productions, directed by Alice Da Cunha, tour directed by Skye Fort, and performed by Josh Levine, Danielle Levsky, Ashley Elizabeth Allen, Carolyn Moore, Brooke Shilling, and Nati Via.

In The Crone Chronicles: Reclaiming the Story of Baba Yaga we take you on a journey through a magical and mystical world. Our story follows the protagonist Chava (Brooke Shilling), a young Jewish girl struggling after her mother's death and father's departure (Josh Levine), as she faces adversity with her new stepmother Faina (Carolyn Moore) and stepsister Dorothea (Nati Via). She is sent on a magical quest to the house of the mysterious Baba Yaga (Ashley Elizabeth Allen).

As the cast of actors brings the story to life, Baba Yana the Soviet Jewish Grandma Clown (Danielle Levsky) narrates the tale, and ultimately, intervenes to offer a nuanced, empowering take on the complex crone archetype. Through her wisecracking interruption, Baba Yana draws both the cast and audience into questioning why so many stories like this vilify powerful women - especially older women! - as figures of fear.

With insight, humor, and chutzpah, Baba Yana calls out the gender and age bias lurking in this legend of Baba Yaga's creepy chicken-legged hut and appetite for lost children. Could there be more to Baba Yaga's complex character than the misogynistic 'big bad witch' trope? Does the real history behind such tales reveal more about the storytellers than the crones themselves?

And most crucially, how do we stop perpetuating harmful stereotypes so that people of all backgrounds can live in dignity?

Meet the Team Behind The Crone Chronicles