Irina Kruzhilina: Fierce Frontrunner on Immigration

About this episode

Irina Kruzhilina discusses the intersection of immigration issues and artistic expression, emphasizing the need for emotional impact and public action.

I want to educate the public about what’s happening in the immigration crisis itself and inside the courts, about the refugees and how they are treated here, but also to make the performances beautiful in a way that will impart something profound to the audience. How do I put these stories into the most beautiful artistic form to go to the core of the human being? What I need from these performances is a call to action—for people to actually DO something. We need to educate them and impact them emotionally, so that people know what to do. This crisis is on us! We need to be haunted by their stories. We need to hear these stories over and over again so we cannot turn away. ~ Irina Kruzhilina Irina Kruzhilina is an award-winning theater maker whose roles include director, scenographer, experience designer, playwright, professor, and artistic director, creating work at the intersection of visual art, live performance, and civic engagement.

People in this episode

Guest: Irina Kruzhilina

Topics covered

• immigration
• theater
• civic engagement
• artistic expression

Keywords

• refugees
• performance
• education
• call to action

Mentioned in this episode

Products: theater, visual art

More episodes of First Online With Fran

• Svetlana Satchkova: Speak Up, America! · June 1, 2026 · 32 min
• Pat Ceasar: Truth Teller · April 20, 2026 · 30 min
• Dr. John King: Living the Spirit of SISU · March 13, 2026 · 34 min
• Donna Walker Kuhne: The Power of Building Audiences · February 27, 2026 · 35 min
• Rosie Stewart: Freedom-to-Read Revelations · December 12, 2025 · 28 min
• Laura Raicovich: Fall of Freedom · November 8, 2025 · 33 min