Anton Pavlovich ChekhovAnton Pavlovich Chekhov ((Антон Павлович Чехов)Антон Павлович Чехов)

(1860-1904)(1860-1904)

Presentation by Anna Kadnikova

Anton Chekhov Anton Chekhov

PhysicianPhysician

Major Russian short story writerMajor Russian short story writer

PlaywrightPlaywright

“Medicine is my legal wife…Literature is my mistress” Anton Chekhov

Early Years and LiteratureEarly Years and Literature

Mother – excellent Mother – excellent storyteller storyteller

School life –gained a School life –gained a reputation for: reputation for: satyrical comments, satyrical comments, making up humorous making up humorous nicknamesnicknames

Wrote his own Wrote his own anecdotes and funny anecdotes and funny stories in adolescencestories in adolescence

Early Years and TheaterEarly Years and Theater

Took part in amateur Took part in amateur theatrical performancestheatrical performances

First performance attended – First performance attended – Jacques Offenbach’s Jacques Offenbach’s La Belle La Belle HeleneHelene

Spent virtually all his savings Spent virtually all his savings on tickets to theater!on tickets to theater!

First serious long play– First serious long play– “Fatherless” “Fatherless” (“(“БезотцовщинаБезотцовщина”) ”) (destroyed)(destroyed)

Medicine, Prose and DramaMedicine, Prose and Drama

Medical School at Moscow State UniversityMedical School at Moscow State University 1883 – resigns due to sickness. Devotes the 1883 – resigns due to sickness. Devotes the

rest of his life to literaturerest of his life to literature Mainly wrote short stories – they are Mainly wrote short stories – they are

considered the apotheosis of formconsidered the apotheosis of form Playwrighting career – brief – but had a great Playwrighting career – brief – but had a great

impact on dramatic literature and impact on dramatic literature and performanceperformance

Major PlaysMajor Plays

The Seagull The Seagull («Чайка»)(«Чайка») Uncle VanyaUncle Vanya («Дядя Ваня») («Дядя Ваня») Three SistersThree Sisters («Три сестры») («Три сестры») The Cherry OrchardThe Cherry Orchard

(«Вишнёвый сад»)(«Вишнёвый сад»)

The SeagullThe Seagull TThe first of four major he first of four major

playsplays. . CCenters on the enters on the

romantic and artistic romantic and artistic conflicts between conflicts between four theatrical four theatrical characterscharacters..

First perfomance – a First perfomance – a famous failurefamous failure

Staged by Staged by Stanislavsky – sound Stanislavsky – sound successsuccess

The Cherry OrchardThe Cherry Orchard

- Family of impoverished Family of impoverished nobles whose beautiful nobles whose beautiful cherry orchard (which cherry orchard (which they are attached to) they are attached to) is heavily mortgagedis heavily mortgaged

- Characters seek to find Characters seek to find a way of saving the a way of saving the garden but garden but cease to cease to do so.do so.

- Merchant Lopakhin (his Merchant Lopakhin (his ancestors were serfs) ancestors were serfs) buys the garden and buys the garden and “lays an axe to it”“lays an axe to it”

The Cherry OrchardThe Cherry Orchard

LopakhinLopakhin: “Lay the axe to the orchard! Come : “Lay the axe to the orchard! Come and see the trees fall down!”and see the trees fall down!”

Trophimov: Trophimov: “All Russia is our orchard!”“All Russia is our orchard!” New Epoch is Coming. Romanticism gives a way New Epoch is Coming. Romanticism gives a way

to Commercialism. The Past is never to return.to Commercialism. The Past is never to return. Chekhov’s attitude: pessimistic or optimistic? – Chekhov’s attitude: pessimistic or optimistic? –

still causes arguments.still causes arguments.

Uncle VanyaUncle Vanya

Structurally and Structurally and psychologically psychologically complex dramacomplex drama

Estate in 19Estate in 19thth century century RussiaRussia

Exploring complex Exploring complex relationships between relationships between peoplepeople

Themes of weakness, Themes of weakness, delusion and despair, delusion and despair, but courage and hope but courage and hope as wellas well

The Three SistersThe Three Sisters

Decay of the Decay of the privileged class in privileged class in Russia Russia

Search for meaning Search for meaning in the modern in the modern worldworld

Family that is Family that is dissatisfied and dissatisfied and frustrated with its frustrated with its present existencepresent existence

Chekhov’s Talent and MannerChekhov’s Talent and Manner

Selecting important moments from Selecting important moments from the trivial onesthe trivial ones

Brevity and concisenessBrevity and concisenessAnti-ideologicalAnti-ideological

Anti-pedagogicalAnti-pedagogicalObjectivityObjectivityFree artistFree artist

Chekhov’s Talent and MannerChekhov’s Talent and Manner

No blame for anybodyNo blame for anybodyAcute delineation of human weaknesses Acute delineation of human weaknesses

and delights, of human psychologyand delights, of human psychology Naturalist of the theaterNaturalist of the theater

Delineation of ordinary charactersDelineation of ordinary characters Exceptional importance of dialogueExceptional importance of dialogue

(What is said is more important that what (What is said is more important that what is done!)is done!)

Chekhov and StanislavskyChekhov and Stanislavskycollaborators – both paid closer collaborators – both paid closer

attention to the important unsaid attention to the important unsaid messages within the writingmessages within the writing

Chekhov by many is acknowledged Chekhov by many is acknowledged as someone who made as someone who made Stanislavsky’s Theater famousStanislavsky’s Theater famous

Some arguments. E.g., Cherry Some arguments. E.g., Cherry Orchard – comedy(Chekhov) or Orchard – comedy(Chekhov) or drama (Stanislavsky)?drama (Stanislavsky)?

Chekhov About His PlaysChekhov About His Plays

“ “You say you have cried at You say you have cried at my plays…But this is not why I my plays…But this is not why I wrote them, it was Stanislavsky wrote them, it was Stanislavsky who turned them into cry-babies.I who turned them into cry-babies.I simply wanted to say to people simply wanted to say to people honestly: “Understand, how bad honestly: “Understand, how bad and boring your lives are!” People and boring your lives are!” People should understand this and…should understand this and…create themselves another and create themselves another and better life. What is here to cry better life. What is here to cry about?”about?”

Chekhov’s Impact and Chekhov’s Impact and InfluenceInfluence

Contemporary Russians celebrated ChekhovContemporary Russians celebrated Chekhov International fame – after World War I International fame – after World War I

(Constance Garnett’s English translations)(Constance Garnett’s English translations) Immensely popular in the UK in the 1920sImmensely popular in the UK in the 1920s In the US – fame came later (through the In the US – fame came later (through the

influence of Stanislavsky’s method)influence of Stanislavsky’s method) Many writers and playwrights used Chekhovian Many writers and playwrights used Chekhovian

techniques throughout the XX century, almost techniques throughout the XX century, almost none escaped his influencenone escaped his influence

Films and Theater Films and Theater ProductionsProductions

Among many others:Among many others:

- Lanford Wilson’s “The - Lanford Wilson’s “The Three Sisters”(1997)Three Sisters”(1997)

- Emil Loteanu’s “My Emil Loteanu’s “My Tender and Tender and Affectionate Affectionate Beast”(Beast”(Мой Мой ласковый и нежный ласковый и нежный зверь)зверь)(1978)(1978)

- Nikita Mikhalkov’s Nikita Mikhalkov’s “Dark Eyes”(1987)“Dark Eyes”(1987)

SourcesSources Anton Chekhov – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; available at Anton Chekhov – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; available at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Chekhovhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Chekhov ““Three Plays of Absurd” Anton Chekhov Available at Three Plays of Absurd” Anton Chekhov Available at

http://www.theatrehistory.com/russian/chekhov001.htmlhttp://www.theatrehistory.com/russian/chekhov001.html The Social Significance of the Modern Drama.The Social Significance of the Modern Drama. Emma Goldman. Emma Goldman.

Boston: Richard G. Badger, 1914. pp. 290-3.Boston: Richard G. Badger, 1914. pp. 290-3. ANTON CHEKHOVANTON CHEKHOV. available at . available at

http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc6.htmhttp://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc6.htm Chekhov’s Quotes. Available at Chekhov’s Quotes. Available at

http://www.notable-quotes.com/c/chekhov_anton.htmlhttp://www.notable-quotes.com/c/chekhov_anton.html «Антон Павлович Чехов» Энциклопедия «Аванта+» «Антон Павлович Чехов» Энциклопедия «Аванта+»

«Русская литература». Москва, 1998«Русская литература». Москва, 1998