Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters
UT’s Clarence Brown Theatre in the Carousel Theatre
Previews: Wednesday and Thursday, September 27 and 28, at 7:30 PM
Opening Night: Friday evening, September 29, at 7:30 PM
Continues through October 15 (Schedule, information and tickets)
If one were to describe the major plays of Anton Chekhov in one word—and I’m not suggesting you do such a limiting thing—that word might be “yearnings.” That follows for The Cherry Orchard (1903) and The Seagull (1895), and most certainly for Three Sisters (1900), the next production for the Clarence Brown Theatre’s Carousel Theatre. This production features a version by Libby Appel from literal translations from Russian to English by Alison Horsley as commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
In Three Sisters, that yearning takes the form of the characters’ hopes and dreams—romance, happiness, success—that never really materialize, and that instead become the frustrations of lost opportunities.
“Languishing in a provincial town far from their beloved Moscow, sisters Olga, Masha and Irina yearn for the sparkling city of their childhood, where they believe all dreams will come true. Acknowledged as a masterpiece of the world stage, Three Sisters is Chekhov’s tour de force investigation of a family navigating the space between reality and dreams.”
This production is directed by the London-based Michael Fry making his first engagement with CBT.
“The emotions and ordeals of the twelve principal characters are shown through all their laughter, tears and anxieties. The play’s themes of love, desire, unrequited affection and death are just as relevant and pertinent to today’s audiences, who quickly become absorbed by the experiences of each discrete character.”
— Michael Fry, director.
The cast includes guest artists and a host of familiar CBT faces and MFA acting candidates.
Andrei Sergeyevich Prozorov (Brian Gligor)
Natalya (Natasha) Ivanovna (Charlotte Munson), his fiancé, later his wife
Andrei’s three sisters: Olga (Emily Kicklighter), Masha (Carléne Pochette), and Irina (Lauren Pennline),
Fyodor Ilyich Kulygin, Masha’s husband (Christopher Tramantana)
Aleksander Ignatyevich Vershinin (Christian Gray)
Nikolai Lvovich Tuzenbakh (Joseph McGranaghan)
Vasilii Vasilyevich Solyony (Miguel A. Faña)
Ivan Romanovich Chebutykin (Roderick Peeples)
Aleksei Petrovich Fedotik (Evan Price)
Vladimir Karlovich Roday (Ben Pratt)
Anfisa (Nancy Duckles)
Ferapont Spiridonych (Robert Stephan)
Maids (Celeste Pelletier and Maddie Poeta)
Orderlies (Ben Terpstra and Julius Gross)
The creative staff consists of visiting guest sound designer Matthew Tibbs, lighting designer and UT MFA candidate Alice Trent, scenic designer Jelena Andzic, and UT Theatre faculty costume designer Bill Black.
“ChekhovFest,” a program of related productions, lectures, and discussions continue the interest in the Russian playwright throughout the month of October.
Keynote Lecture
Thursday, October 12
“Not Just Dogs: The Question of the Animal in Chekhov”
4 PM
McClung Tower, Room 1210
Radislav Lapushin
Associate Professor of Russian
UNC-Chapel Hill
Author of “Dew on the Grass”: The Poetics of Inbetweenness in Chekhov
Other Events
Wednesday, October 11 – 7 PM
Relix Theatre: An Evening through Chekhov’s Spektacles
• The Bear and other performances by UT theatre faculty and students
• The Harmfulness of Smoking Tobacco, presented by River and Rail Theatre Company
Friday, October 13 – 12 PM
Greer Room, UT Library: “Reconsidering Chekhov”
Panel discussion and presentations
Knox County Public Library
October 3 and 10 – 6:30 PM
Lawson-McGhee Library Meeting Room
Chekhov discussion group and book club
UT Professor Natalia Pervukhin, moderator
Author of Chekhov, The Sense and the Nonsense.
