The Three Sisters first run left critics lukewarm but greatly excited the public. “The story of the three sisters,” a contemporary writer exclaimed, “is not a fiction, not a fantasy, but a fact, an event, something every bit as real as the stock options at the Savings Bank.” This course is designed to enter into the worlds that Chekhov’s drama opens to readers, directors, actors, and spectators. We look first at the text and its cultural context. We then follow The Three Sisters to other times and places and into film. Throughout, we’ll use scene work, attempting to bring the piece alive, culminating in a presentation of the full play.
