Tennessee Williams at Foxwoods -- in Russian?

Strange but true.

The Moscow Sovremennik Theatre will present Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. It will present George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion" Nov. 20 at noon and 4:30 p.m. Both shows are performed in Russian at the 1,400-seat Fox Theatre. It is the company's only U.S. engagement.

For the past few years, Foxwoods has targeted Italian, Asian, Greek and Russian audiences with entertainment in the language of their country. But so far only Russian programming has tapped into nonmusical works.

Tom Cantone, vice president for marketing and entertainment, says it's part of Foxwoods' effort to bring in shows that appeal to a specific international audience.

Christopher Baker, associate producer and dramaturg at Hartford Stage, spent three months in Moscow in 2003 and reviewed this production of "Sweet Bird of Youth" for Theatre Journal, calling the 50-year-old company a "major theater in Moscow," akin in its renegade spirit and reputation to Chicago's Steppenwolf. He said the production was "fantastic."

More than 100 members of the theater company will come. Marina Neyalova (the films "The Barber of Siberia" and "Inspector") and Yuri Kolokolnikov (the films "The Burning Land" and "Greek Holidays") star in what is called "an adaptation" of "Sweet Bird of Youth." Sergei Makovetsky (the films "Of Freaks and Men" and "Brother 2") and Elena Yakovleva (the films "Kursanty" and "Kamenskaya") star in "Pgymalion." Kiril Serebrennikov directs an adaptation by poet Nina Sadur.

The company was last in the United States when it played on Broadway with acclaimed productions of "Three Sisters," "The Cherry Orchard" and "Into the Whirlwind" in 1996-97. The company could not afford to return to the United States until Foxwoods' invitation came, says Rina Kirshner of the Firebird Group, a public-relations company.

Tickets for the Foxwoods show are $50 to $125. Tickets and information: 800-200-2882 or www.foxwoods.com.