We did 3 Sisters a century later since its first production at the Moscow Art Theatre. How different is our situation today and how do we see Chekhov now?
Sometimes I think that it's almost impossible to grasp the distance ncovered in those 100 years. Distance from where to where? The revolutions and wars and all the changes -- what could we find in common with the Prozorovs? What can Chekhov tell about us?
Yes, yes, about us -- why to stage it overvise? Of course, I have my own ideas -- feeling that strangely enough American society is only arriving to the spiritual and emotional state of the sunset of the Russian culture. Maybe, we are already there; the classical America is gone, the new one is here...
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) : The Cherry Orchard (1903)
Chekhov's characteristic genius and feeling for a society in transition are most fully expressed in his last great play, The Cherry Orchard. It is a comedy in a form peculiar to Chekhov and not easily defined, showing as it does fifteen widely differentiated characters in situations that are by turn farcical, tragic and romantic. Written in 1903, the year before he died, the play tells of an old family estate up for auction and how, with the sale, a whole way of life comes to an end.
I try to experiment with the feature I have at the end of my intructional pages "next" to give it full "open text" functionality; the options. Chekhov Pages, for example. At the end you can continue the linear narrative, according to syllabus (215 or 413), or go to DIRECTING (I recommend to read first The Sisters production files and the archives of 3sis. Or go for Method Acting for Directors!
Six pages on Chekhov, not counting 3 Sisters directory webpages! What am I doing?...
November - December, 2004 * Opening The New Studio Theatre!
IVANOV
“Ivanov has the quirkiness, the subtlety and the unpredictable touches of human truth we associate with the great works that followed.” – The Times *
By Anton Chekhov
Adapted by David Hare
Directed by Joy Zinoman
IVANOV : Written when Chekhov was only 27, Ivanov is a striking depiction of a man too intelligent and too restless to endure his provincial life. The brilliant Nikolai Ivanov is plagued with guilt and frustration when he finds himself drawn to a beautiful young girl who threatens to destroy the moral foundations of his world. This new production, directed by Joy Zinoman, confronts this rarely seen play’s anti-Semitic undercurrents. David Hare’s adaptation of Chekhov’s first full-length play will open the Studio Theatre’s brand new 200-seat theatre.
Commedia trace in Ch. Farces: The Bear -- Smirnov, [ Capitano - A Military figure. Arrogant and over-bearing but really an inept coward at heart ].
Wedding: Andrey [ Arlechinno - A low status servant. Arlechinno is hyperactive and a prankster who is constantly becoming carried away with the moment he is in. Because of this he can appear to be foolish but has the ability to outwit everyone else. ]
Chekhov-Knipper letters, ed. by J. Benedetti (1998); CHE'05
Impossible to understand Chekhov with understanding of Existentialism (Read Camus or other best 20th centuries philosophers)
Late Anton Chekhov
There is German Chekhov, French, Japanese...
I am seriously thinking about letting Chekhov to "narrate" the Playscript Analysis (THR413), but he is such a private man. No manifestos, speeches, books about writing and social statements. His late (big) plays is the only way how he spoke his mind (subtext principle). Well, maybe he is the one who can help me to get to the practical applications of pomo....
Chekhov was a doctor and tried to stay away from any philosophy, any generalization... Does it ring the pomo bell? The blank (self)parody, even in defining the genre of his plays (Beckett: tragedy = comedy).
IT'S TIME FOR CHEKHOV NOW
The Second Annual Chekhov NOW Festival, presented by the LITE Company, begins Wednesday, November 1st and runs through Sunday, November 19th at the Connelly Theater, 220 E. 4th St. (between Avenues A & B) in New York's East Village. We have assembled 13 original productions, all based on and influenced by the writings of Anton Chekhov -- physician, playwright, raconteur and wit. Performances include theatre, dance, classical music, operetta and puppet shows, as well as our world-famous Saturday Night Cabarets. We hope you'll join us for Chekhov NOW 2000, the only event of its kind in the world.
We're taking this opportunity to let you know that our festival website is up and running. The site introduces you to the festival and includes information about each performance as well as show dates and times for the more than 84 festival performances. The site also lets you know how to reserve tickets online or by phone (212-414-7773). If you have any questions or comments please send an email to anton@chekhovnow.org. The website's URL is -- http://www.chekhovnow.org. If your email program is reading this note in Rich Text Format, you can also click the link below. Please visit the site, and if you'll be in NYC during November, be certain to stop in at the festival. Please spread the word, and if you've got a webpage, cut and paste the HTML for this link onto your site. Thanks.
VISIT CHEKHOV NOW A PROJECT OF THE LITE COMPANY
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PS
Four major plays by Anton Chekhov
AmazonBooks Award Winners
List the titles. "Small Chekhov" -- one-acts.
Good for class projects (acting-directing): Wedding, The Bear and so on.
Homework
"My favorite character": analysis. In all upper-division classes. The guidelines are different for actors and directors. See Method and Stagematrix pages.
Europe and Japan went through the love affair with Chekhov (as well as the good USA), when the Arab world and Africa get through the Chekhov's honeymoon, we are there, living in one universe of postmodern values, together -- no more Rome and barbarians.
NB
SHOWS: 3 Sisters Many (if not all) 20th century playwrights are ubder Chelkhov' spell. Each differently, of course. This is great field of studies: Chekhov and Albee, Chekhov and Pinter, Chekhov and Beckett -- and so on.
Consider the comparative analysis for your midterm and final papers in THR413 class.
Presentation of International Chekhov Lab was at the 4th World
Congress of the International Drama/Theatre and Education
Association IDEA in Bergen, Norway (July, 2001) and in Moscow, Russia
(The Central House of Actor), Melikhovo - at the 3-th International Theatre
festival "Spring of Melikhovo-2002" and St.-Petersburg (Aleksandrinsky
Theatre), Russia (May, 2002).
As a part of Chekhov Lab presentation we showed a first-night
of our performance "The Nina Variations" by Steven Dietz (USA). This
performance is based on Chekhov's play "The Seagull" by Anton
Chekhov,with a participation of two heroes - Nina and Konstantin
Treplev.There were shown two versions of this play - our Russian
version (director - Victor Goultchenko) and American one, prepared by
Ms.Carol MacVey from University of state Iowa (USA).
We're able to show the Russian performance "The Nina
Variations" by Steven Dietz at the theatre festivals.
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International Chekhov Lab
The Chekhov Lab is aimed to deep an audience into the poetic
world of Chekhov's plays using organic combination of theoretical
and practical studies.
Methodology:
The following methodology of studies seems to be the optimal:
a) theoretical thesis-ground
b) practical development of the mentioned thesis using a
sketch method with actor's participation
c) further search-improvisation and discussion on found
variants
d) summing up of found results, fixing of material either
in play fragments, or in fantasies based on the play subject, or
in complex performance
Main subjects:
1) Tourgenev - Chekhov - Gorky.
2) Chekhov and Gogol.
3) Chekhov and Dostoevsky.
4) Ibsen - Strindberg - Chekhov.
5) Chekhov and Moscow Art Theatre.
6) Experience of Stanislavsky, Nemirovich-Danchenko and
other stage-directors in Chekhov's plays: starting from "theatre of
feeling" to "theatre of performance".
7) Chekhov in the culture of XX Century.
8) Chekhov and "new drama" of XX Century.
9) Chekhov and "theatre of absurd". Chekhov and Beckett.
Chekhov and Ionesko.
10) Base of Chekhov's theatre.
11) "Space" and "time" in Chekhov's plays. Chekhov and
Einstein.
12) Sense of stage direction in Chekhov's plays.
13) Function of pause in Chekhov's plays.
14) Features of final in Chekhov's plays.
15) "Through" and "fluctuating" characters in Chekhov's
plays.
16) Russian Eros in Chekhov's plays.
17) Chekhov's characters up to the end of XX Century:
who'll see "the sky in diamonds"? -
18) Chekhov in the East and the West cultures.
- Etc.
Audience:
An audience of Chekhov Labs may be formed with participation
of actors, directors, stage-designers, theatre researchers, Slavonic
philologists,students and postgraduates of theatre institutes or
faculties.
An optimal group quantity is from 30 up to 50 peoples for
every study.
Studies organization:
Minimal duration of Chekhov Lab is 2 weeks.
Maximal duration is 8-12 weeks.
Set of themes and material richness will be based on the Lab
duration and group professional features.
Play's fragments, study or commercial performances may be
prepared as a result of Lab studies.
Abilities: Chekhov Lab studies may be held in memorial Chekhov's
buildings (Moscow, Melikhovo, Taganrog, Yalta, Gurzuf, etc.),
or in native countries of interested groups.
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