From ‘The Seagull' to ‘The Cherry Orchard': 4 Anton Chekhov plays that changed the face of theatre

Indian Express

06-06-2025

(Written by Taniya Chopra)
'Shakespeare was a bad writer, and I consider your plays even worse,' Russian author Leo Tolstoy is said to have told his contemporary Anton Chekhov. Tolstoy was not the only one, many other great writers and critics were of like mind. They were quick to dismiss Chekhov because his plays lacked a traditional plot and nothing grand happened in them. What they failed to realise, however, was that was the beauty of his plays. Chekhov, ultimately, proved the naysayers wrong and demonstrated that drama does not always need action, just truth. Silence speaks loudly in Chekhovian plays. His characters are flawed beings, and the most powerful moments in his plays are not shouts or slams, but what is left unsaid.
The Seagull
​​'If at any time you should have need of my life, come and take it.'
If heartbreaks and quiet longings are your jam, then The Seagull is just the play for you. Widely considered Chekov's most dramatic play, it is the story of Konstantin, a writer, who wants his talents to be recognised by his mother, Irina Arkadina, a famous actress. Irina's lover, Boris Trigorin, a successful writer, soon begins an affair with Nina, an aspiring actress whom Konstantin loves. What follows is a storm of sorrow and unrequited love. Dreams of characters wither and their love slips away, and the pain of being left behind never quite fades.
Set on a country estate, it shows the frustration of characters stuck in monotonous routines, who long for something more. The professor and his young wife,Yelena, visit the countryside, where Sonya, his daughter from a previous marriage, manages the family farm along with her Uncle Vanya. Amid the quiet routine of country life, Yelena becomes the focus of affection from two men, each carrying their own dreams and desires. Throughout the play, the characters face the pain of wasted years. Their silent screams can be heard through the script. Chekhov doesn't offer any resolution in this play, just the crushing weight of endurance. 'We shall live through the long procession of days before us, and through the long evenings; we shall patiently bear the trials that fate imposes on us'
The play delves into the lives of three sisters – Olga, Masha and Irina – who yearn to return to their former life in Moscow after being stuck in a provincial town. The sisters bear the burden of unfulfilled dreams and the monotony of their existence. This play of Chekhov captures the subtle beauty and the silent ache of time passing away. The sisters hold on to ideals of love and a brighter future, but as each act passes, that future drifts further away. They keep waiting for life to begin, not realising it is already slipping by. It forces us to dwell on the question: if we spend our entire lives waiting for happiness, will we recognise it when it does?
A reflection on memory and the end of an era. Chekhov's final play was written just a year before his death in 1904. The play is about an aristocratic family struggling to come to terms with the loss of their estate, and with it, their beloved cherry orchard. One needs to read in between the lines to know that Chekhov is actually talking about late 19th century Russia, which is on the brink of transformation. Throughout the play, characters try to deal with personal disappointments and the loss of their estate. Each character responds to change differently, some resist it, others embrace it. The cherry orchard stands as a bittersweet reminder of the past, a fading reminder of their ways of life of old Russia. The Cherry Orchard is not just a farewell to a family estate, it's Chekov's farewell to theatre.
'The distant sound is heard, as if from the sky, of a breaking string, dying away sadly. Silence follows it, and only the sound is heard, some way away in the orchard, of the axe falling on the trees.
Curtain falls'
(The writer is an intern with indianexpress.com)