Chekhov: Four Plays, Vol. 1 » (1st Edition)

A collection of new, production-tested translations of the four great plays by Anton Chekhov: The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard. These translations are faithful to the rich music of the original Russian and fluid and accessible for the modern actor and the contemporary American audience.

Library Journal

Chekhov left a legacy of four major dramas as well as hundreds of short comic sketches and stories. Strongly influenced by the Symbolist movement, Chekhov drew upon his personal experiences in depicting the lives of the Russian landed gentry. The period 1996-2004 marks the centennial of the premieres of his best-known plays and brings a renewed appreciation of his place in modern drama. The translations of The Three Sisters, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, and The Cherry Orchard by Rocamora (theater, Tisch Sch. of the Arts, NYU) remain faithful to the period flavor of the original while being fresh and fluid for modern American actors and audiences. Rocamora also provides a lengthy biographical sketch of Chekhov, which is useful for an understanding of his works. A respected translator, dramaturge, actor, and playwright, Schmidt intends to re-create in American English vernacular the vitality and humor of Chekhov. In this, he succeeds admirably, particularly in some of the short comedies, such as The Proposal. Schmidt's translations seem the more contemporary of the two work under review, and he makes use of many common vulgarisms in the comediespresumably bringing them closer to what Chekhov's audiences were familiar with. Both titles offer fine contemporary translations that are a pleasure to read. If your collection can support only one "complete Chekhov," go with Schmidt; otherwise, these two titles complement each other and can be recommended for all modern drama collections.Howard E. Miller, St. Louis