Chekhov's lyrical plays and uproarious farces continue to entertain theatergoers nearly a century after he wrote them. From his early work The Seagull --a depiction of estranged love and thwarted passion that became a great success Stanislavsky's Moscow Art Theater--to his last, The Cherry Orchard --the poignant portrayal of a land-owning family unable to adapt to a changing society--all his plays masterfully combine both levity and pathos. But his comedic genius comes to fruition most fully in his short entertainments, such as the hilarious courtship between a hypochondriac and a shrew depicted in The Proposal. Putting a "slice of life" on stage, Chekhov's dramatic art evokes the painful loneliness of the human condition, yet unfailingly highlights the pretensions and absurdities that make us laugh--at ourselves.
After nearly a century, the lyrical plays and uproarious farces of the great Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov continue to enrapture audiences, offering unmatched insights into the pretensions, absurdities and pain of the human condition. This essential collection captures the full range of subtlety, wit and music in Chekhov's dialogue.
ISBN 10: 0553214276
ISBN 13: 9780553214277
Pages: 432
Format: Paperbound
Publication: 1994/12/31
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