The group’s recent play “The Lesson” by the French playwright Eugène Ionesco features minimal decorations. Despite the visual minimalism and a cast of just three actors, the players are still able to convey Lesson’s absurdity and humor to the audience.

“What I've found, because I've done a few classes, is that drama may be a good bridge to taking that English knowledge, to being more comfortable with it, I mean particularly the Lesson,” says Titus Adams, one of the group’s actors. “We had a lot of Russian English teachers who really enjoyed it, you know, because it's obviously about teaching.”

In the meantime, the group’s Russian actors say performing in English offers them new creative and cultural opportunities.

“I'm Russian. So for me to do something with the English language is just a pleasure because it is another consciousness,” says actress Katya Shigola, “It is like you are taking another brain – a fresh one. It is a pleasure for me to even read English.”

However, as the group tries to win over both Russians and expats, they are still not sure whether there is a large enough audience in Moscow that will enjoy the kind of drama they offer.