Culture RUSSIAN Theatre Anton Chekhov “Medicine is my lawful wife and literature is my mistress.” Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904) was born in Taganrog, Russia. His father was a pious yet volatile man who operated a struggling grocery shop. His mother was kind and loving to Chekhov and his five siblings and loved telling imaginative stories to her children. ~ Anton Chekhov After receiving the best standard education available, Chekhov rejoined his family, who had moved to Moscow after losing their business, and helped to support them. Chekhov became a prolific writer during this time, starting with humorous sketches and short stories, while also studying medicine. Chekhov went on to become a physician and a writer. He is considered one of the greatest Russian playwrights and writers of short fiction in history. Known for precision in language as well as a shrewd understanding of human nature, Chekhov’s work has had a great influence on other writers including Flannery O’Connor, Tennessee Williams, Somerset Maugham, and John Cheever. While dramatists were often inclined to burden Chekhov’s plays with a great sense of serious gravity, Chekhov insisted his plays were intended to be lighter. Indeed, he proclaimed The Cherry Orchard to be “a comedy, in places even a farce.” Chekov married Russian actress Olga in 1901 but died a few years later of tuberculosis. “Through stories such as The Steppe and The Lady with the Dog, and plays such as The Seagull and Uncle Vanya, the prolific writer emphasized the depths of human nature, the hidden significance of everyday events and the fine line between comedy and tragedy.” (https://www.biography.com/people/anton-chekhov-9245947) THE LADY WITH A LAP DOG | Sept. 15–24, 2017 Fortune’s Fool Theatre, Open Eye Figure Theatre (506 E. 24th St., Minneapolis, MN) Book & lyrics by Daniel Pinkerton. Music by Robert Elhai. Based on the short story by Anton Chekhov. Directed by Nicole Wilder. Music direction by Jill Dawe. This world premiere is an intimate, emotionally-powerful musical about two people who meet in the resort town of Yalta in 1899 and have a summer affair. Because both are in arranged marriages, the experience of meeting someone with whom each of them can communicate honestly leads them to look at the world with fresh eyes. How does one balance desire and responsibility? What does it mean to be virtuous? Can an act of unselfish love ever be a mistake? $16-$18 | openeyefiguretheatre.org | 612.874.6338 34 | Exploring Culture www.tctosca.com THE CHERRY ORCHARD | Nov. 2–5, 2017 Macalester College (1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN) By Anton Chekhov. Directed by Beth Cleary. Set in Russia after the turn of the 20th century, this is the story of an aristocratic family on the brink of bankruptcy. Yet, they refuse to sell their famous cherry orchard or accept that the old world is giving way to the new. Full of symbolism (the cherry trees are said to represent sadness), this is the last of Chekhov’s plays. It portrayed the state of Russia at the time because of the many changes taking place in Russian society. Considered a masterpiece, Chekhov intended this piece to be a comedy, but has been perceived to be a drama by most critics. $5-7 | macalester.edu | 651.696.6359
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