A company built like a family.

Alexander Prokhorov-Tolstoy is the founder and artistic director of the Commonwealth Lyric Theater and its Young Artist Program — a multifaceted talent who excels as a bass-baritone singer, pianist, stage director, choral conductor, composer and vocal instructor. Born into a family with deep cultural roots, with the writer Alexey Tolstoy and the poet Mikhail Lozinsky among his great-grandfathers, his upbringing was steeped in literary, musical and theatrical influence.

After completing his education in piano performance at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory Academic Music College, he studied chorus conducting and opera performance at the Longy School of Music of Bard College and the Boston University Opera Institute.

Under his leadership CLT has spotlighted talents from the Bolshoi and Metropolitan Opera companies, and earned critical acclaim for Aleko by Sergey Rachmaninoff, Mozart and Salieri by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov and Demon by Anton Rubinstein, staged at the Emerson Cutler Majestic in 2017 — taking top honors from the National Opera Association alongside praise from the Boston Globe and New York Magazine. His work in children's opera has produced The Magic Flute, Ruslan and Ludmila and The Pirates of Penzance; he is now channeling his creative energy into Pinocchio, after Carlo Collodi's classic tale.

Irina has been with the Commonwealth Lyric Theater for over ten years, serving as Producer, Production Director and Legal Counsel, as a choir member and as an instructor for CLT Young Artists. She holds a bachelor's degree in singing, piano, choir conducting and music education, as well as a Juris Doctor. Alongside her work in the arts she is a successful attorney and runs her own firm, the Law Office of Irina Rubinshtein, P.C.

Her opera production of Demon by Anton Rubinstein received acclaimed press coverage and secured first place in the professional opera company competition of the National Opera Association. She is also a co-founder of the Child Prodigy Concert Series of Boston, whose 2014 inaugural concert drew over 500 people to the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall.

"I juggle many roles and enjoy them all!" 
Afanasy is a versatile artist skilled in performance, choreography, video production, and sound engineering. Since age 11, he has been an independent performer, celebrated for his velvety baritone, musical style, and dancing talent. He has worked with the Commonwealth Lyric Theater and Boston’s Jewish Musical Theater “Firelech” and has been the lead soloist at Lucky Ten. 

Afanasy has received the Grand Prix at Carnegie Hall and other international accolades, and has performed at events such as the International Festival “Istoki” in Moscow and the Newton Festival of the Arts. In 2020, he served as the technical director for the Musical Window project. 

Afanasy runs a small recording studio and is deeply involved in the Commonwealth Lyric Theater’s Young Artist Program, where he guides aspiring performers in a supportive and creative environment. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Jenya Shekhter is a set and costume designer. Her work involves creating intricate settings for rooms, buildings and natural landscapes, selecting furniture and positioning set elements so that the stage itself tells the story — ensuring the vision of the Commonwealth Lyric Theater is translated into a compelling visual language of scenic design.

She has designed sets and costumes for Israeli and American productions including Sailor's Silence, Uncle Vanya, A View from the Bridge, The Dead Souls and Elsinor. Recently she conceptualized and designed stage sets for PM Theater's The Singing Windmills and A Star Without a Name, both of which originated in New York and toured nationwide under her creative direction.

Jenya holds a Master's in Theater Arts from Tel Aviv University. Her passion extends beyond design: she founded the Wandering Lampshade Theater Club for children aged six and older, teaching acting and improvisation and introducing them to the history of theater and its genres.

Jon Lehrer began his dance and choreography journey on a dare from his girlfriend to take a modern dance class in college. He went on to earn a BFA in Dance from the University at Buffalo, kickstarting a transformative career, and has performed with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, Giordano Dance Chicago and the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. At Giordano he rose to Rehearsal Director and Associate Director, creating seven original works that received international acclaim.

In 2007 he founded the Jon Lehrer Dance Company in Buffalo, NY, which moved to New York City in 2019 and has gained national and international recognition for a unique blend of modern and jazz influences — organic, accessible choreography infused with humor and reflective of the human condition. His accolades include the University at Buffalo Zodiaque Dance Company Distinguished Alumni Award and the "Rising Star" SPARK Award.

Fiona Liu is a spirited hip-hop dancer and choreographer whose work has graced prestigious stages including the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Festival and performances with the renowned BTOP dance crew at Berklee School of Music in Boston. She actively shapes performances as a choreographer for recitals and for the vibrant annual Boston Chinese New Year Gala.

Her choreography has gained international acclaim, particularly at the Rap of China 2024 global competition. She also directs and choreographs music videos, creating compelling visuals that span themes from schizobulia and domestic affection to hip-hop culture, and her work explores the complexities of marriage in Chinese culture through the expressive power of dance.

Luna Gomberg is an innovative multimedia artist and costume designer known for her creativity and bold use of color. Her portfolio spans theater, opera and outdoor performance, showcasing a blend of set design, costume creation and hair and makeup artistry, with significant contributions to theater companies, performance venues and collaborative projects across New York City and beyond — notably Krymov Lab NYC's acclaimed Big Trip at LaMaMa ETC in the East Village, and creative projects at TurnPark Art Space in the Berkshires.

Her range extends to independent sculptural work, abstract costume design, fiber arts and dynamic installations, often in collaboration with artists such as Uta Bekaia, Doug Fitch and Tommy Nguyen. She continues to design costumes and puppets with Krymov Lab NYC and is preparing major productions including Anna Karenina in New York and Pinocchio: The Musical in Boston, while crafting her own costume collections.

Sergey Aniskov is an award-winning animation visionary and former set designer for Moscow's renowned Maly State Theater. His animated films have been showcased at Cannes, Sundance and other prominent festivals. His work spans traditional animation, documentary film and innovative projection design for avant-garde performance. Trained by Yevgeny Kumankov, a luminary of classical Russian theater set design, he brings a theatrical background to every project, infusing experimental productions with the fairy-tale graphics that are his signature — and his experience in children's animation adds a playful, whimsical element to his projection design.

He has developed creative property concepts and produced pitch reels that greenlit productions for AOL, BBC Kids, Cartoon Network, Handmade Films, Lionsgate, MTV Networks International, Nickelodeon US and Australia, TV Ontario and YTV Canada, and has directed and produced episodes of animated broadcast and cable series as well as online and mobile gaming and learning content for AOL, MTV, Harcourt-Mifflin, the US Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. He is the founder and owner of Sorka Enterprises, a production company.

Sergey isn't just a master craftsman; he's a visionary who effortlessly combines hands-on creation with cutting-edge technology. His expertise spans welding metal and woodworking through electronic hardware and software coding, enabling him to craft pieces that transcend conventional artistry.

For our Pinocchio production he brought that vision to life, meticulously designing and building key elements including lighting solutions that blend seamlessly into the theatrical experience. He is the maker behind the striking golden key — a major element of the show that adds a magical touch.

Beyond the stage, Sergey is the founder of Design Synergy Vision, a startup blending technology and craftsmanship to create smart, beautiful and sustainable home and garden landscaping solutions.

Mike McTeague is a sound and lighting engineer and technical director with a rich portfolio spanning renowned theaters worldwide. He began his career with the Colonial Players and Quannapowitt Players in Massachusetts, and his talent has since been showcased in prestigious venues from Chicago and New York to Ukraine.

Recognized for technical skill and creative flair, he has contributed to productions from classic to modern, enhancing each with innovative design. Notable projects include Demon, Who Will Sing for Lena and The Bear, which demonstrate his blend of technical mastery and artistic vision. He has received multiple awards for lighting, sound design and stage management, including accolades for Dracula and A Little Night Music.