Anton Chekhov – Three Sisters (Три сестры)
Translated by: Agnieszka Lubomira Piotrowska
The title characters of Three Sisters – Olga, Masha and Irina, daughters of a high-rank army officer, fantasise about a different life in Moscow which to them is the symbol of a better, utopian reality. The rhythm of their world is set by successive war interventions resulting in the arrivals and departures of the local garrison. In the background of the events described, lurks the upcoming war with Japan and the revolutions of 1905 and 1917. What is more, Chekhov’s characters are hindered by the sentimental and emotional conveniences they must obey. This timeless cliché of a drawing-room from the end of the 19th century produced numerous equally “universal” and clichéd interpretations of Chekhov’s plays.
The creators of the play desire to return to the intentions of the author. What really comes to the front in his works is the critical view of the contemporary socio-political situation and radical opposition to hypocrisy, the love of comfort and stupidity of the elites that do not appreciate the importance of their social role and the duties that it carries. Stuck in trivial, emotional problems, Chekhov’s characters hide behind the plans they never realised, outdated platitudes about the value of work and social equality. This highly critical gesture of the writer is conveyed through his love for humour, grotesque and satire, and through tampering with the tastes and expectations of the audience. Those are the elements of his work which have been surprisingly often overlooked by theatre productions of his plays to date.
The Russian Empire of the end of the 19th century – that is in its final years – was the sanctuary of a conservatism opposed to any kind of freedom movement which threatened the traditional, monarchical order of power. The political police and censorship tried to eradicate any signs of freedom movements critical of tsarism. The atmosphere of stagnation of the drawing-rooms of the Russian elites was a result of the comfort brought about partially by the stable economy, and to some extend also by the overwhelming feeling of powerlessness. The situation in Chekhov’s play is very similar.
Creators:
Directed by: Jędrzej Piaskowski
Dramaturgy: Hubert Sulima
Set Design/Lights: Aleksander Prowaliński
Costumes: Hanka Podraza
Choreography: Katarzyna Sikora
Music: Jan Tomza-Osiecki
Cast: Magdalena Sztejman, Edyta Ostojak, Lidia Olszak, Jolanta Rychłowska, Daniel Dobosz, Wojciech Rusin, Maciej Grubich, Paweł Kos, Daniel Salman, Janusz Łagodziński