Overview
Synopsis
Three Sisters is the third of Anton Chekhov’s four major plays, and maybe the most perfect expression of his artistic genius. It chronicles three and a half years in the falling fortunes of the four children of a recently deceased Colonel in the Russian army: sweet Irina, the youngest and most impressionable; tempestuous Masha, who is trapped in a loveless marriage; practical Olga, who has resigned herself to spinsterhood; and their brother Andrei, whose ill-advised romance and compulsive gambling wreaks havoc on the family finances and eventually forces them out of their home. Weary of their small-town surroundings, the Prozorovs long to return to Moscow, the bustling metropolis they left eleven years ago. Unfortunately, ground down by disappointment, debt, and the oppressive ordinariness of their daily lives, they’re never able to get there. Ten other vivid characters round out the cast -- including a coterie of soldiers whose arrival in town in the first act is a cause for celebration and whose departure in the final act is a cause for dismay. Despite Chekhov’s undeserved reputation for avoiding intense drama, The Three Sisters is packed with action and emotion, including two tumultuous affairs, a fire that devastates the nearby town, and a duel that ends in the death of a major character.
Show Information
Context
Three Sisters is one of Anton Chekhov’s final plays. It is regarded as one of his most important works and a prime example of the psychological realism that defined his style. The renowned Russian dramatist wrote Three Sisters in 1900 during a period of cultural shift in Russia. While Moscow was quickly modernizing, life elsewhere was considered dull. This is reflected in the sisters' restlessness and longing to go back to Moscow. Chekhov may have conceived the idea for the play as early as
to read the context for Three Sisters and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
The Prozorov sisters—Olga, Masha, and Irina—celebrate Irina’s name day, the Russian equivalent of a birthday party. Baron Tuzenbach, a lieutenant, Chebutykin, an army doctor, and Solyony, a captain, arrive. Tuzenbach announces that Colonel Vershinin, their new commanding officer, is coming to visit. Irina cheerfully tells Chebutykin, one of Irina’s suitors, she has decided true happiness comes from work. Tuzenbach, another of Irina’s suitors, says he also dislikes idle time.
to read the plot for Three Sisters and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
Showing 8 of 14 characters
Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Three Sisters.
Want to be featured on this page? Update your credits.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A political upheaval often explored in theatre to critique authoritarianism and celebrate radical change.
A movement and technique using symbolic imagery and metaphors to express abstract ideas and inner experiences.
