Uncle Vanya, “Oh well it’s progress”: unsustainable ... · PDF file6 ...

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“... you’re all possessed by a will to destroy—the woods, the birds, women,

and one another.”Yelena,Uncle Vanya, ActOne

WhentheactorsoftheMoscowArtTheatretooktothestagein1899toperformUncle Vanya,theyspokewordswrittenbyamanwhoknewhewasdying.Chekhovshowedthefirstsignsoftuberculosissometimearoundhis25thbirthdayin1885.Althoughhewasadoctor,hesteadfastlyrefusedtodiagnosehimselforletanyoneelsedosoforyears.In1889,ChekhovheldvigilformonthsatthedeathbedofhisbrotherNikolai,whosufferedfromtuberculosis.AshesatinadachaintheUkrainenursingthedyingNikolai,itmusthavecrossedhismindthathemightsharehisbrother’sfate.AsNikolaicoughedhiswayintoanearlygrave,Chekhovwroteafriend,“Thereisasortofstagnationinmysoul.Iexplainitbythestagnationinmypersonallife.Iamnotdisappointed,Iamnottired,Iamnotdepressed,butsimplymustdosomethingtorousemyself.”Thesewordsbearaneeriesimilaritytolinesthecharactersinhisplaysandstoriessayoverandoveragain:Theytoofeelstagnated.Howwilltheyrousethemselves?Canthey?

WhileChekhovwouldnotadmittohimselforanyoneelsethathealsosufferedfromTB,hisworkoftenreflectedthatthediseaseweighedonhismind.In“AnAnonymousStory,”writtenin1893,theconsumptivenarratorofChekhov’sshortstorytellsthereader,“Lifeisgivenusonce,andonewantstoliveitboldly,withfullconsciousnessandbeauty.”Thesewordsmarkavastchangefromstagnationandlistlessness,andhowcuriousthattheycomefromadyingcharacter,writtenbyadyingwriter.

“Ohwell…it’sprogress”:unsustainablelifestylesBYLAURAHOPE

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THEBOYAR’SWIFEMOROZOVA(1884)BYVASILYSURIKOV

PHOTO: FLICKR/WOODLEYWONDERWORKS

By1897,Chekhovcouldnolongerdenyhisillness.DuringdinnerattheHermitagerestaurantinMoscow,Chekhovbegantohemorrhage,bloodpouringfromhismouth.Hebledintothenextday,butrefusedtogotothehospital.Afewdayslater,afterseveralmorehemorrhages,heenteredaclinicinMoscowwherehewasofficiallydiagnosedwithwhathemusthaveknownforyears—hehadadvancedtuberculosis.AsbiographerJanetMalcolmwrites,“Chekhovlivedonly44years,andduringthelastthirdofhislifehewassurelyconsciousofthelikelihoodofaprematuredeath.Thoseofuswhodonotliveundersuchadistinctlystatedsentenceofdeathcannotknowwhatitislike.Chekhov’smasterpiecesarealwaysobliquelytellingus.”

ChekhovknewwhenhewroteUncle Vanyathathisownfragile,illness-riddenlifewasprobablynotsustainable.Butfarfromfeelingsorryforhimself,heinsteadturnedhisattentiontootherunsustainablelifestylesoccurringallaroundhim.Heworriedaboutthefutureoftheplanetandthehumanrace.Astrov,thecountrydoctorinUncle Vanya,givesvoicetosomeoftheconcernsthattroubledthecountrydoctor-turned-playwrightfromthegrimvillageofTaganrog.WhatisamazingaboutAstrov’sspeechesishowcompletelytheyspeaktourgentcontemporaryconcernsoveracenturyaftertheywerewritten:

This is a survey map of our country as it was fifty years.… Half the map, as you can see, is covered in green…. Now, we come to the third map.… Our country as it is today. We see spots of green but very little else…. On the whole, we see a picture of pretty steady decline of wildlife and vegetation.… You might say, ‘oh well … it’s progress. We have to let go of the old world in order to let in the new.’ … It’s all the result of people’s ignorance, of course, and people’s fierce struggle for survival. We snatch instinctively at what will feed us, warm us; we want to protect our children, of course.… So we end up destroying what we need most and cannot replace.

Astrov’sone-mancrusadetopreserveRussia’snaturalresourcesgrabsusbythecollar.Asglobalwarmingandthe

depletionofournaturalresourcesreachcriticalmass,whatarewedoingtosustainourplanet?Whatshouldwebedoing?Howmuchlongercanwesustainourlifestyle?Astrov’sconcernforthefutureoftheplanetleadshimtoplantnewtreesandcareforforests,attemptingtopreserveandprotectthem.WhenChekhovmovedtoYaltainanefforttosalvagehisfailinghealthin1898,hefilledthegroundsofhishomewithtreesandshrubberyhewouldneverlivetoseeflourishandspread,yetvisitorstodaycanseealushparkplannedandplantedbyChekhov.Chekhovwantedustogoonandthriveasaspecies,andasaplanet.Andhenevergaveup.

Russiainthelate1890swasfullofunsustainablewaysofliving.WhileChekhov’scharacterAstrovspeaksspecificallyofthedestructionoftheplanet,Yelenaechoeshim,outliningotherformsofunsustainablelife.ShetellsVanya,

As the doctor just said, look at yourself—look at how thoughtlessly you destroy things. Not just the forests. Look at how you destroy people—loyalty, purity, self-sacrifice, they’ ll all vanish with the trees if you’re not careful. Why is it that you can’t look calmly at a woman unless she belongs to you? The doctor’s right; you’re all possessed by a will to destroy—the woods, the birds, women, and one another.

ThelandedgentrywhopopulateChekhov’smajorplayswerecertainlylivinganunsustainablelife,yettheydidnothingtoresolvethesituation.JustlikethearistocratsofChekhov’splays,theywaited,inaperpetualstateofparalysisanddenial.Theyseemedhell-bentontheirowndestructionthroughacarefullycultivatedworldofennuiandstasis.Theenormousgapbetweenthearistocracyandthepeasantsandformerserfs,however,

wasonacollisioncoursewithdestiny.TheexcessesoftheTsaristsystemcouldnotsurvive.Russiawasonthevergeofcataclysmicchange.In1905,justoneyearafterChekhov’sdeath,thefirstRussianRevolutiontookplace.In1917,itsucceeded.Theoldwayoflifecollapsedinbloodycivilwar.Withthebenefitofhindsight,Chekhov’splaysseemtoscreamthatit’swake-uptime.“Change”—suchabuzzwordinourcontemporaryculture—changewascoming.Readyornot.

Remarkably,thedyingChekhovremainedoptimisticthattheplanetandit’sinhabitantscouldberedeemed.LikeAstrov’strees,Chekhovhopedhisplayswouldplantaseedinpeopleandwakethemuptotherealityoftheirunsustainablelives.AstrovtellsVanyaandtheaudience,

When I pass by forests I personally saved from the axe, or hear the rustle of leaves of plants I’ve seeded myself, I feel I’ve had at least some small part in preserving our little world. And that a thousand years from now, I may be just a tiny bit responsible for man’s being a little bit happier.

ThesewordsaresimilartothoseChekhovvoicedinaletteraboutthe

“Who but a stupid barbarian would … destroy what he cannot make?

Man has been endowed with reason in order to increase what he’s been given, and what have we done?

We haven’t created a thing! In fact, we’ve demolished

what we should have cherished.”

-Astrov, Uncle Vanya, ActOne

“seeds”hewasplantingwithhisplays:

I simply wanted to say to people honestly, ‘Look at yourselves, look at how bad and boring your lives are!’ The important thing is, that people should understand this, and when they understand it, they will, without fail, create for themselves another and better life. I will not see it, but I know—it will be completely different, and nothing like this life. And until it arrives, I will say to people again and again: ‘Understand how bad and boring your lives are!’

Hischaractersneverseemtoreallygetitthemajorityofthetime.Mostcarryonastheywerebefore:eyesshut,awallofdenialfirmlyinplace.Chekhovhopedthataswesatinthedarknessandwatchedhisplaysalightwouldgooninus,andwewouldwakeup.Hediedbelievingthiswouldhappen.Hejustknewthatsomedaywewouldgetit.n

Laura Hope is Cal Shakes’ Resident Dramaturg.

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Emily Mann, the adapter of this production of UncleVanya, is one of the most notable theater directors and playwrights in the United States, and has served as the Artistic Director of the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey for over eighteen years. As a playwright and director she has won numerous awards, including a Peabody award, several Obies, a Hull-Warriner award, and the Edward Albee Last Frontier Directing Award. Her plays, such as HavingOurSay,Greensboro,StillLife, and ExecutionofJustice, have been widely produced on Broadway, throughout the United States, and around the globe. Ms. Mann discussed her adaptation of UncleVanya and her work on Chekhov’s plays with Cal Shakes Resident Dramaturg Laura Hope one week before rehearsals began for our production of UncleVanya.

LauraHope:You’vewrittenadaptationsforthreeofAntonChekhov’smajorplays—Uncle Vanya, The Seagull,andThe Cherry Orchard.WhatattractsyoutoChekhov’sworkasafellowplaywright?

EmilyMann:Yes,IhaveactuallydirectedallfourofChekhov’smasterplays,butadaptedonlythree.(IdidnotadaptthefirstplayofhisIdirected,

AninterviewwithEmily MannonherprocessofadaptingUncle Vanya fora21st-centuryAmericanaudience. LH:WhenIreadUncle Vanya,Astrov’sspeechesontheenvironmentandtheneedtocareforthenaturalresourcesoftheplanetalwaysleapoutforme.Theyseemtospeaksoclearlytoourownconcernsinthehereandnow.Howdoyouthinkthisparticularthemefitsintotheoverallmeaningoftheplay?EM:OfcourseAstrov’sobsessionaboutpreservingtheforestsisvery,verypresenttense.Unlessyouarelivingunderarock,youareconcernedaboutourdestroyingtheenvironmentandevenlosingtheplanet,perhapsinourorourchildren’slifetimes.Chekhovhimselfsawandunderstoodthisoverahundredyearsago,andthatthemecomesupagainandagaininhiswork.Astrovisastoundinglyeloquentnotonlyabouthowwesquanderournaturalresources,butoneofhisspeechesalsoresonatesthroughouttheplayonanotherlevel.ThoughAstrovdoesnotmaketheconnection,Chekhovdoes.Wesquandertheearthjustaswesquandertheopportunityoflovingandcaringforotherpeople.AstrovtellsYelena,“Wesnatchinstinctivelyatwhatwillfeedus,warmus....Soweendupdestroyingwhat

weneedmostandcannotreplace.”Yelena,ofcourse,hasnotreallybeenlisteningtoAstrovandshemissesthisastoundingobservation.Thisisaclassic,masterfulChekhovmoment.LH:SpeakingofYelena,Uncle Vanyaseemstohavequiteabittosayonthesubjectofbeautyanditsplaceintheworld.Whatdoyoumakeofthisaspectoftheplay?HowdidyoufeelaboutitwhenyouwereadaptingyourversionofVanya?EM:FemalebeautyisahugesubjectforChekhov.Thecharactersspeakaboutitmostclearlyinthisplay—especiallywhenspeakingabouthowbeautifulYelenaisandhow“plain”Sonyais.Itismuchtoobigasubjecttotalkaboutinasentenceortwo,butoneofthebiggestsurprisesformeinadaptingUncle VanyaisthatChekhovunderstoodthatitcanbeatragedytobeanextraordinarilybeautifulwoman.Yelenaisoneofhismostheartbreakingcharacters.Nooneseesher.Nooneknowsherinsides.Nooneactuallyrespectsher,orfeelsforher,orsympathizeswithheraboutanythingbecausesheisbeautiful.Sheistrappedinherownbeauty.

LH:WhatweresomeoftheothersurprisesordiscoveriesyoumadeaboutUncle Vanyaasyouwereworkingonit?

EM:Howfunnyandsexyitis.Thereisariveroflonginganddesirerunningthroughouttheplay.

LH:Yousaidearlierthatadaptationisacollaboration.Eventhoughhe’sbeendeadforoveracentury,youwereinadialoguewithChekhov—aconversationwasoccurringbetweenhisUncle Vanya andyours.Soitseemsadaptingaplayputsyouinaspecialrelationshipwiththewriteroftheoriginaltext.WhatwasyourrelationshiplikewithChekhovasyouworkedonadaptingUncle Vanya?EM:Wefellinlove. n

Thebeginningsofhisplaysarealmostallhilarious.Theyendtragically,likeThe Seagull andUncle Vanya.

ImostrecentlywroteafreeadaptationofThe Seagull setinthepresentdayintheHamptonscalledA Seagull in the Hamptons.ItwasthefinalshowoftheseasonthisyearatMcCarterTheatreandwasagreatsuccess.Afterthreeproductionsandtwoadaptations,IfeltIknewChekhovsointimatelythathehadinawaygivenmepermissiontobringhisplaytoanewlocation,setinpresentdayAmerica.IknewIcouldstillstayfaithfultohisintent.Anditworked.Ithinkhewouldhaveapproved.Theupdatingandchangeoflocationwasinfactseamless.TheRussiantranslatorandscholarIworkedwithfortheothertwoadaptation/translationsofVanyaandThe Cherry Orchard,EllenChances,saidthoughitwasthefreest,itwasthemostfaithfuladaptationofThe Seagullshehadeverencountered.Itwasveryfunnyuntiltheendwhenitwasheartbreaking,justwhatChekhovhadhopedforandneverlivedtosee.Chekhovwantedalotofhumorinallofhisplays.I’vealwayslovedthatabouthim.Icannotunderstandtheseproductionsthataresoglumandweepywithneveralaugh!TheytaketheircuefromStanislavski,Iguess,eventhoughChekhovhatedthoseproductionsandbeggedformorepace,morehumorandsimpletruths.

EMILYMANNANTONCHEKHOV

CHEKHOV adapting

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The Three Sisters.)Asawriter,whatattractsmeisthatChekhovcancapturealifechanginginasinglemomentonstage.Inoneline,oneaction,duringoneoverheardormisunderstoodconversation,hecancapturetheinstantaperson’slifeshatters.Hedoesthisoverandoverinhisplays.Hewasamasterdramatistandtheultimatehumanist.LH:ChekhovwroteduringatimeofconfusionandturmoilinlatenineteenthcenturyRussia.Itwasacountryonthevergeofenormous,catastrophicchanges.TheRussianRevolutionexplodednotlongafterChekhovdied.Withhisplays,hecapturedtheZeitgeistofhisowntime.Howdoyouthinkhisplaysspeaktoa21st-centuryU.S.audience?EM:IthinkChekhovwroteaboutwhatitistobealive.Inanytime.Inanyplace.Thedetailsmaychangebutthetruthofthepeopleandtheirrelationshiptoeachotherandtheirworldremainsthesame.Thatwashisgenius.Thatiswhyhelasts.

LH:WhatchallengesariseinadaptingChekhovforcontemporarytheatergoers?EM:Chekhovsaidhewrotetheway

peoplespeak.Healsosaidhisplaysarefunny.Itrytogivehimwhathewantsateveryturn.Adaptationiscollaboration.IfeelIaminconstantconversationwithhimwhenIworkonhisplays.LH:ChekhovwasalwaysunhappywiththewayKonstantinStanislavskidirectedhisplaysattheMoscowArtTheatre,includingUncle Vanya. Chekhovthoughthisplayswerehumorous,butStanislavskialwaysdirectedthemasfairlytragic.Forbetterorworse,Stanislavski’sinterpretationsofChekhovhavestuck,andmanypeoplestillthinkofChekhov’splaysasgrimandanythingbutfunny.WhatisyourviewonthepresenceorabsenceofhumorinChekhov’splays?EM:Chekhov’splaysarefunny!Period.That’swhathewantedandthat’swhathewrote.Itisnotonlyinhislanguage,thoughsometimeshislinesareveryamusing.Butwelaughalsobecauseitisthelaughterofrecognition.Weseethehumantruth—inmoments,inbehavior,insituations—thatmakesuslaugh.Hisobservationoftheabsurdityofwhatitistobehumanresoundsthroughouthisplays.Usually,hisplaysareveryamusinguntiltheendwhentheybreakyourheart.Thetrapistoplaytheendoftheplayatthebeginning.

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CHEKHOV THOUGHT HIS PLAYS WERE FUNNY.Thismaycomeasashockingnewsflashtoanyonewhohaseverwhite-knuckleditthroughoneofthoseinfamouslygrimfour-hourproductionsofamajorplaybyChekhovfilledwithunrequitedlove,missedopportunities,financialruin,wastedlives,heapingspoonfulsofexistentialennui,anddeath.Duringhisshortlife,Chehkovwasequallysurprisedthatdirectors,actors,critics,andaudiencesconsistentlymissedthehumorhewassocertainfeaturedprominentlyinhisplayswhentheyweresuccessfullyproducedattheMoscowArtTheatreundertheacclaimedandfrequentlyimitateddirectionofKonstatinStanislavski.

TheteamattheMoscowArtTheatremadeChekhov’splaysfamous,buttheydiditinawayofwhichChekhovdidnotparticularlyapprove.StanislavskidirectedChekhov’splaysasa“theatreofmood,”fraughtwithintensesounddesignsintendedtocreateaheavy,oftenmorose,naturalisticatmosphere,andpepperedwithlongpauses.Hewantedtohighlightthepointlessnessandlonelinessofthecharacters’lives.ForStanislavski,therewasnothingfunnyaboutwastingone’slife.Chekhovbalkedatthisinterpretation.“Stanislavskihasruinedmyplay,”anailingChekhovlamentedwhenhesawarehearsalofThe Cherry Orchardin1904,notlongbeforehesuccumbedtotuberculosisanddied.Hetoldfriendandfellowwrite,EvtikhiKarpov:

It’s an outrage! I would like them to perform my work quite simply, primitively. As in the old days – a room; on the forestage, a sofa, chairs…And with good actors. And that’s all. No birds, no theatrical mood. I would really like to see my play performed like that. I’d like to know, would my play collapse? That is very interesting! Perhaps it would collapse. And perhaps not. Who knows…”

Chekhov’svociferousobjectionstoStanislavski’sdirectorialstylewerecommon.In1901,theArtTheatrebeganrehearsalsforThe Three Sisters.Chekhovwaspresentforthefirstread-through.Stanislavskiwrote,“Afterthereading,sharingourimpressionsoftheplay,someofuscalleditadrama,andothersatragedy,withoutnoticingthatthesedescriptionsamazedChekhov.”AdistraughtChekhovwalkedoutoftherehearsal,butStanislavskifollowedhimhome.“Irarelysawhimsoangry,”Stanislavskirecorded,“hehadwrittenahappycomedy,andatthereadingwehadalltakentheplayasadramaandweptoverit.ThismadeChekhovthinktheplaywasnotcomprehensibleanditwasalreadyafailure.”

Chekhovwasalsoupsetwhenaudiencesweremovedtotearswatchinghisplays.HewrotetohisfriendAleksandrSerebrov,“Yousayyouhavecriedatmyplays.Andyouarenottheonlyones.ButthatisnotwhyIwrotethem,itwasAlekseev[Stanislavski]whoturnedthemintocry-babies.Iwantedsomethingelse.”Whatwasthatsomethingelse?Humor.Herealizedthatnolifewaswhollyoneortheother,andsoughttogivetheinnerlifeofhischaractersamix.Chekhovfullyunderstoodtheexistentialcrisesarisingfromalifeoftediousroutineandfrustrateddesires,buthebelievedtherewasanabsurd,humoroussidetohumanfoiblesasonebumblesthroughtheday-to-day.Heremarked:

CHEKHOV’S COMEDYThe Alleged Humorist:

BY LAURA HOPE

I am describing life. It is a dull, average life. But it is not tedious whimpering. They either make me out to be a cry-baby, or simply a boring writer. I have written several volumes of humorous stories. And criticism puts me down as some kind of weeper. They invent something about me out of their heads, anything they like, something I never thought of or dreamed about. This is beginning to make me angry.

Chekhovdid,infact,beginhiscareerasasuccessfulwriterofcomicshortstoriesforhumormagazines.Hishumor,however,isnotslapstickorfarce.Instead,itoftenreliesonexploringtheabsurdityoflife.

Inmanyways,Chekhovcanbeseenasaforefathertothekindofhumorexploredbyplaywrightswhoemergedduringthemid-20thcenturyandpioneeredtheTheatreoftheAbsurdmovement.Thesewritersdealtwithexistentialcrisesbynotingtheabsurditiesoflife,andminedthehumorfoundinthefoolishwayspeopleignoretheirownproblemsandsteadfastlyrefusetoaddressthem.SamuelBeckettbecametheundisputedkingofthisgenrethroughplayslikeHappy Days,inwhichthecentralcharacter,Winnie,isburiedtothewaistinsandastheplayopens,andburiedtotheneckbythefinalcurtain.Despitebeingslowlyburied(orsinking)alive,Winnietalksincessantly,nevermentioningherpredicament.Shealsonevertriestofreeherselffromwhatwilleventuallybeherdoom.Instead,sheremainsmiredinthehabitsofherdailyroutine:brushingherteeth,puttingonlipstick,andblabbingaboutnothingtoherhusband,whoalsoseemseitherobtuseornumbtothesituation.

ChekhovscholarLaurenceSenelicknotestheparallelbetweenBeckett’sworldviewandChekhov’s.Hewrites,“SamuelBeckettdescribinghabitasablissfulpainkiller,referredto‘theperilouszonesinthelifeofanindividual,dangerous,precarious,painful,mysteriousandfertile,whenforamoment,theboredomoflivingisreplacedbythesufferingofbeing.’”

ThisisjustwhathappensinUncle Vanya.

ThevisitofProfessorSerebryakovandhisbeautifulyoungwifeYelenainterruptthelifeofnumbhabitinwhichVanya,Astrov,andSonyahaveexistedinanearsomnambulisticstate.Theyareawakenedtodesirestheyhavesuppressed,regretstheyhaveburied,anddreamsthathavedied,yettheydoverylittleaboutit.Vanya’simpotentrageleadshimtomakeanunsuccessfulattemptonSerebryakov’slifeandcontemplatesuicide.Bytheendoftheplay,however,theprofessorhasdeparted,butnothingmuchchanges.VanyaandSonyaresolvetoreturntotheunfulfilledlivesofsacrificeandhabittheyhadbeforethefatefulvisit.Chekhovseemstofindthismissedopportunitymorethanjustasadwasteofhumanexistence.Healsoseeshumorinit,justasBeckettlaterwouldinhisplays.Asadoctorpledgedtosavingandhealinglives,andamanwhoknewhisownfragileandsicklylifewouldprobablybequitebrief,Chekhovvaluedlife,lovedit,andsawwryhumorinthefailureofthosewhocannotgrabtheirexistencewithbothhands.Thehumorinhisplaysworkstodeferjudgingthecharactersaspatheticormiserablefailures.Italsoprovideshope.Ifwecanrecognizethehumorinthecharacters’follies,perhapswecanchangeandembraceourown.Thereisjoyoushumorinsuchpossibility.AsChekhovwrote,“Whatisthereinthistocryabout?”n

Laura Hope is Cal Shakes’ Resident Dramaturg.

PHOTOFROMTHEMOSCOWARTTHEATRE’SPRODUCTIONOF UNCLE VANYA IN1899.