What people have to say
AUDIENCE'S COMMENTS
When I saw your play, it shattered me and humbled me in a way that is hard to describe. Yes, it's a Gogol classic, but you bring your talent and passion to take it to that deep, real, passionate, vulnerable, intense, dark, tender, soul-baring place. - Alisa May
Incredibly honored to have gotten to see this. Everything was fantastic and enriching from the acting to the music and directing. Thank you for sharing this. - Amanda Martin
Extraordinary performance ...you're in for a huge treat!- Craig Braun
Tour de force performance by Ilia that defines what it is to even BE an actor. A balls-to-the-wall, no-holds-barred baring of a complete lunatic's soul and his rambling stream-of-consciousness thought patterns as he drifts among the wistful, passionate, mournful, yearning, forlorn, desirous, and ultimately audience-gratifying delusions that this amazing actor so clearly SEES in his mind every single second of the play. Bravo, Ilia. You've done it AGAIN! - Robert Katrini
Amazing night! Jaw-dropping performance! - Robert Holik
I was in awe and mesmerized! Such an amazing and inspiring production.- Theresa Moriarty
An incredible actor in a must see performance of Gogol’s famous short story Diary of a Madman. Passionate, funny, moving, intelligent, thought-provoking - wow! Every breath and gesture was mesmerizing. When Ilia Volok as Poprishchin knocked on the wall of the asylum in protest of his station in Russia’s 19th century bureaucracy -he railed against his fate in today’s America! - Inna Idelchik Swinton
Phenomenal performance! Mind bending! Heart opening..... Totally awesome and inspiring! - Leslie Elias
Really a treat. Playing a madman can be chaotic and draining. but he manages to change the pitch often enough for keep us enthralled. - Francisco Bracho
"Wow!!! "Diary of a Madman" Ilia!!! What a magical journey! Lidiya and I were blown away. We sat in the front row and were connected to every gesture. A piece like that could only become alive if an actor lives through everything. And we experienced it with you. I came out with eyes puffed up from tears. It was truly moving. I still have a mixture of beautifully disturbing and sometimes tender images of a madman in my head. And the translation was really on point, simple, yet very effective. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping the theater alive!" - Alex Bulat
Real theater. An intimate one man show with verve, excitement and authenticity. For all those who love Gogol and those who don't know him. Highly recommended. - Joanna Seddon
I think this may have been the single best one-man play I've ever seen. Ilia captures your attention as soon as the play opens and continues to hold it throughout, never letting go. An amazing, mesmerizing, minimalistic performance! - Alla Trachtenberg
"...One of the most stunning performances I've ever seen in my life!" - Sally Kirkland, an Oscar nominated actress.
"The show was fantastic. What a fierce and ruthless talent Volok is. Great work!" - Franklin Killian
PRESS REVIEWS
Review from Hettie Lynne Hurtes (89.3 KPCC - NPR) - 03/24/2019 :
This is one of the best one-man performances I've ever seen! And if you want to experience it, there are only 3 shows left of Gogol's "Diary of a Madman."
Ilia Volok has performed this brilliant piece all over the world, and now you can see the Write Act's production at the Brickhouse in NoHo. It's a tale of frustration to the max, leading to insanity. We see, through Volok's masterful performance, just what repressive Russian society has done to this man's ego, leading him to the depths of depression and eventually to madness.
Sound fun? Well, granted it's not for everyone, but for those theatregoers who want something substantive and thought provoking, this is it! And, despite the somber subject matter, there is humor that emanates from the insanity of this character's life.
LA Weekly awarded Volok its award for Best Solo Performance....nothing comes close!
"...An absolute must-see, with a performance by Volok that is so riveting that as his insanity escalates, he maintains a powerful core that never dissipates [...] This talented actor takes on the adaptation, written by Nikolai Gogol, with an intense range of emotions, both scary and, at times, surprisingly tender."
by Bonnie Priever.
examiner.com
"Makes Ilia Volok's fevered and fascinating one-man turn as Poprishin...all the more remarkable [...] Volok delineates the delirium with a fierce yet finely modulated intensity [...] Engaging production..."
by Bill Raden.
LA Weekly
"With demonic glint and flamboyant gestures, Volok certainly lives up to the title..."
by Phillip Brandes.
Los Angeles Times
"...Diary of a Madman is a bold and unique actor's showcase and a performance well worth attending [...] The tour de force performance delivered by Volok [...] Unwavering devotion to the character[...] Volok is gripping, endearing and steadfast in his role [...] Diary of a Madman succeeds primarily due to Volok's fully committed performance."
by Robert Lilly.
Lastagehappenings.com
"...Poprishin played masterfully by Ilia Volok [...] Volok gives a powerful and commanding performance that this reviewer will long remember"
by Willard Manus.
Totaltheater.com
"...Ilia Volok is Amazing to watch... he is alternately graceful and awkward, balletic and clanky, whimsical and fearful." "...Ilia Volok and director Eugene Lazarev have brought blood, sweat and tears to this classic short story..."
by Cynthia Citron.
La Stage Times
"...Volok's finely-tuned characterization is fueled by his workhorse energy."
by Vincent Smetana.
Cinesnatch theater reviews Blogspot
"For a single person showcase it doesn't get any better than this!"
by RichBorowy.
https://accessiblyliveoffline.wordpress.com/2016/06/13/attack-of-the-cell-phones-part/
Review from Hettie Lynne Hurtes (89.3 KPCC - NPR) - 03/24/2019 :
This is one of the best one-man performances I've ever seen! And if you want to experience it, there are only 3 shows left of Gogol's "Diary of a Madman."
Ilia Volok has performed this brilliant piece all over the world, and now you can see the Write Act's production at the Brickhouse in NoHo. It's a tale of frustration to the max, leading to insanity. We see, through Volok's masterful performance, just what repressive Russian society has done to this man's ego, leading him to the depths of depression and eventually to madness.
Sound fun? Well, granted it's not for everyone, but for those theatregoers who want something substantive and thought provoking, this is it! And, despite the somber subject matter, there is humor that emanates from the insanity of this character's life.
LA Weekly awarded Volok its award for Best Solo Performance....nothing comes close!
"...An absolute must-see, with a performance by Volok that is so riveting that as his insanity escalates, he maintains a powerful core that never dissipates [...] This talented actor takes on the adaptation, written by Nikolai Gogol, with an intense range of emotions, both scary and, at times, surprisingly tender."
by Bonnie Priever.
examiner.com
"Makes Ilia Volok's fevered and fascinating one-man turn as Poprishin...all the more remarkable [...] Volok delineates the delirium with a fierce yet finely modulated intensity [...] Engaging production..."
by Bill Raden.
LA Weekly
"With demonic glint and flamboyant gestures, Volok certainly lives up to the title..."
by Phillip Brandes.
Los Angeles Times
"...Diary of a Madman is a bold and unique actor's showcase and a performance well worth attending [...] The tour de force performance delivered by Volok [...] Unwavering devotion to the character[...] Volok is gripping, endearing and steadfast in his role [...] Diary of a Madman succeeds primarily due to Volok's fully committed performance."
by Robert Lilly.
Lastagehappenings.com
"...Poprishin played masterfully by Ilia Volok [...] Volok gives a powerful and commanding performance that this reviewer will long remember"
by Willard Manus.
Totaltheater.com
"...Ilia Volok is Amazing to watch... he is alternately graceful and awkward, balletic and clanky, whimsical and fearful." "...Ilia Volok and director Eugene Lazarev have brought blood, sweat and tears to this classic short story..."
by Cynthia Citron.
La Stage Times
"...Volok's finely-tuned characterization is fueled by his workhorse energy."
by Vincent Smetana.
Cinesnatch theater reviews Blogspot
"For a single person showcase it doesn't get any better than this!"
by RichBorowy.
https://accessiblyliveoffline.wordpress.com/2016/06/13/attack-of-the-cell-phones-part/