Uncle Vanya

Uncle Vanya begins on the lawn of a sprawling country estate in late 19th century Russia. Marina, the elderly housekeeper, sits peaceably knitting while Astrov, the family doctor, reminisces about the days when he first came to the country. The estate belongs to an academic named Serebryakov, and is managed year-round by his daughter Sonya and Ivan “Vanya” Voinitsky, his brother-in-law from a previous marriage. Now, newly married to the lovely and alluring Yelena, Serebryakov has returned home to settle into his new life. Unfortunately their arrival causes disruption and idleness among the house’s residents, all of whom feel a general sense of discontent with their lives.

Astrov, a relatively young man in his mid-thirties, delivers a speech about how bored he feels with life and how much he’s aged in the last few years. He, Marina, and Vanya agree that the arrival of the Professor and his new wife has caused disruption and thrown off everyone’s schedules. Now they are all consumed