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by Jeffrey Stanley
"It was something that I've been wracking my brain about for several years, wanting to do this kind of work. I had some interesting conversations with [technical director] Catherine Clark about whether the students could handle it and we decided they could." And thus, as BFS theater teacher Jeremy Richards explained it, was the bold decision made to produce Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's classic Three Sisters as the Upper School's play this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 23 and 24 at 6 pm.
Set in the Russian countryside, The Three Sisters is a four-act saga of the Prozorov family, its three daughters and the end of an era. Love triangles, a duel, crippling debts, and an in-law from hell all figure into the plot. "The questions the play asks and the themes it deals with are an absolute oasis of human behavior," said Jeremy. "You get to see students go through emotional levels that you probably won't get to see in other schools."
Written in 1900, the play introduced Chekhov to the world, and in its explorations on the nature of existence, morality, humans' place in the universe and whether life is governed by fate or chaos, the play arguably foresaw existentialism:
Andrei: The house empties itself. The garrison is gone. The sisters will go
You'll go. I'll be left alone...The present nauseates me.
Some say it also foresaw theatre of the absurd in some of its darkly humorous moments. Although the play presents a dismal view of life, Chekhov himself insisted the play was a comedy.
"It's a good stretch for them," said Jeremy of the deep material. "It gives them another bar to rise to." Jeremy studied and performed in Three Sisters while a graduate student at NYU Tisch School of the Arts' acting program. "I played the part of Rode, which is the part Jackson Watts plays. It helped me in terms of directing it now."
In first talking to the cast about the play, Jeremy brought up its adult explorations of love, infidelity, growing old. "I asked them, have you experienced something like this before? Sometimes I'd get a blank look and then we'd have to create some imaginary situations. Other times they did draw from their own experiences."
What's this play about? "There are many different philosophies on what the play is about," admitted Jeremy. "We live our lives and we work to better our lives but really we work to better the lives of those who will come after us. The sisters themselves, although they never get to go to Moscow, there's an element that they'll get to help make the community around them better with their intellects." He added, "I also think it's about how people look for and strive for happiness, and how life is going to be life."
That latter theme was illustrated aptly as life imitated art at a recent rehearsal. As ninth grader Willa Rubin sat on book in the front row, five cast members stood onstage rehearsing the play's final scene in which amateur photographer Fedotik, played by senior David Villalba, is posing the family and their newfound friends for final portraits before they all part ways. "Let's start with you down low underneath taking a picture," called Jeremy to Fedotik. "Then you'll be getting up for your master shot."
Fedotik: "Ten years, fifteen years from now? Who will be here then?"
Rode: "Farewell trees, farewell air, farewell echo!"
"That was my favorite line when I played that part so don't mess it up," called Jeremy to senior Jackson Watts.
"Can I start over?" David asked.
"Okay guys, you're killing me," said an exasperated Jeremy.
"Hey, I've got this down, hold up," said 11th grader Anna Eden of her lines as kid sister Irina.
They prepared to start again when stage manager Derek Lynch crossed the stage in front of the cast. "Catherine said she's not sure cameras had flashes then. She's checking," he said.
They took it from the top.
Meanwhile junior Luke Hernandez sat awaiting his next scene. He described his role, the character Vershinin. "I'm a military man, I just transferred from Moscow where the three sisters want to go. I'm very into philosophy. I fall in love with [middle sister] Masha." What does Luke think the play's about? "It's about naturalism, life. I can't really explain it, you have to watch it and come to your own conclusions."
Sophomore Tierney Melia plays Natalia. "She's the sister-in-law. She's public enemy number one in the household. I take everything over. I'd hate me if I was in this situation. I start really timid but take over. I got married [to the three sisters' brother Andrei] but I'm having an affair with the guy I was engaged to first." What's the play about? "It's hard to say. Its about people who deal with how time moves, and what happens to them."
Anna described her role as Irina. "She's been going through this back and forth with her sisters who want her to get married." In desperation Irina decides to marry the lieutenant Baron Tuzenbach played by sophomore Conor Heins and go away with him, but he is killed in a duel by Captain Solyony. Irina decides to leave home anyway to find her purpose in life. What's the play about? "It's about changes in life, drastic and little changes. And it's about family." Does the play have a happy ending? Anna paused for a moment and then made a choice. "Yes," she said. "It's sad outright but everyone learns how to live. They learn what they need to do."
Stage Manager Derek, a senior, hopes to get into Brown University. He isn't sure of his major yet but he plans to take a few pre-law classes in preparation for an unknown future. What does he think the play is about? "It's about love, relationships. I'm not too deep with this kind of stuff," he replied.
That's alright, DJ, it's Chekhov. Everyone has a different answer.
Performance Schedule: Friday, Jan. 24, 6 pm and Saturday, Jan. 25, 6 pm.
Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and are available at the BFS lobby desk.
THE THREE SISTERS Cast and Crew List:
Light Board Operator
Andrew Ziegler
Sound Operator
Kirk Pearson
Carpentry
Kirk Pearson
Willa Rubin
Andrew Ziegler
Electrics
Kirk Pearson
Anrew Ziegler
Frank Bull
Abraham Shah
Wardrobe Mistress
Alex Marquis
Prop Master
Caitlin Mahoney
Stage Manager
Derek Lynch
Assistant Stage Manager
Willa Rubin
OLGA SERGEYEVNA
Chelsea Major
IRINA SERGEVEYEVNA
Anna Eden
MASHA SERGEYEVNA
Sophia Rohklin
IVAN ROMANOVICH CHEBUTKIN
Alex Jean
NIKOLAI LVOVICH TUZENBACH
Conor Heins
VASISLY VASSILYEVICH SOLYONY
Theo McCarthy
ANFISA
Edith Martinez
FERAPONT/ FEDOTIK
David Villalba
ALEXANDR IGNATYEVICH VERSHININ
Luke Hernandez
ANDREI SERGEYEVICH PROZOROV
Jean-Loup McllVaine-Cellier
FYODOR ILYCH KULYGIN
Charles Leeds
NATALYA IVANOVNA
Tierney Melia
VLADIMIR KARLOVICH RODE
Jackson Watts
MAID
Miriam Gentile |