Overview
Synopsis
“If you ever need my life, come take it.” So wrote Trigorin, lover of the fading actress Arkadina, in his most famous book. Nina, a young ingénue and the beloved muse of Arkadina’s playwright son, Konstantin, absorbs this statement completely. When the two actresses — one young, and one aging — and the two writers — one successful, and one struggling — meet at the family estate one fateful summer, their loyalty, love, and ambition are put to the ultimate test. The first of Anton Chekhov’s realistic plays, The Seagull is a remarkable drama about passion, compromise, and the unknowable, untouchable concept of art.
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Context
Anton Chekhov is considered by many scholars to be the father of modern realism. He was the author of novels, short stories, essays, poetry, and plays, including Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard. Chekhov wrote The Seagull in 1895, and it was first produced in 1896 at the Alexandrinsky Theatre where it was received so poorly that the actor playing Nina lost her voice from terror. After such a devastating failure, Chekhov decided that he would never write another play.
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Act One
A temporary stage has been set up outdoors on Sorin’s large estate. Sullen, black-garbed Masha, the daughter of the estate manager, is followed by Medvedenko, a schoolteacher. Medvedenko expresses his unrequited love for Masha, who informs him, “I am touched by your affection, but I cannot return it.” Sorin, the estate’s owner and a retired civil worker in poor health, enters, leaning heavily on his cane. He is accompanied by his nephew, the aspiring playwright Konstantin, who
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Character Portrayals
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