Category: Anton Chekhov

Theater Review: ‘The Cherry Orchard’: Compelling Revival With a Comedic Slant

April 13, 2023
"The Cherry Orchard"Anton ChekhovArts & CultureBrightPerforming ArtsRobert Falls
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CHICAGO—Characters that bump into furniture, laugh at inappropriate moments, and engage in plenty of pratfalls are not what one usually expects from Anton Chekhov’s (1860–1904) “The Cherry Orchard.” In the past, the play has typically been presented as a Russian tragedy. But that wasn’t the playwright’s intent. In this winsome revival, outgoing artistic director Robert…

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Theater Review: ‘Seagull’: Modernized Theater Isn’t Always Better

May 13, 2022
"The Seagull"Anton ChekhovArts & CultureBrightKonstantin StanislavskyPerforming ArtsSteppenwolf
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CHICAGO—When “The Seagull” opened in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1896, those in the audience hissed and booed at it. Maybe the premiere failed so badly because the audience didn’t realize that Anton Chekhov (1860–1904), the playwright, meant for the play to be a comedy. Theatergoers’ appreciation for the work changed, though, when director Konstantin Stanislavsky…

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How to Be Civilized: Anton Chekhov’s 8-Step Program

April 19, 2022
Anton ChekhovArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightcivilityLife & Tradition
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“As your brother and intimate, I assure you that I understand you and sympathize with you from the bottom of my heart. I know all your good qualities like the back of my hand.” In 1886, Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) wrote those words in a letter to his older brother, Nikolai (1858–1889). Regarded today as a…

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