The Cherry Orchard Background Notes

When and where was Anton Chekov born?

January 29, 1860 in Taganrog, Russia

How many siblings did Chekov have and which number was he?

3rd of 6 children

What did Chekov’s paternal grandfather do?

he was a serf who bought his freedom

What was Chekov’s early life like?

it was rough; his father was a grocer but his business went bankrupt, he abandoned the family to avoid debtor’s prison and his mother was forced to return to Moscow

After Chekov finished his education what was he responsible for?

financially supporting his family in Moscow

How did Chekov pay for his schooling?

he did private tutoring, caught and sold goldfinches, and sold short sketches to newspapers

What did Chekov study?

medicine but he didn’t really like his job

After Chekov finished school what did he do?

became a freelance journalist

What did Chekov write?

one act plays but then switched to full length

What did Chekov consider his primary occupation?

medicine but he made little money from it because he treated the poor for free

Who did Chekov marry in 1901?

actress Olga Knipper but they lived largely apart

How did Chekov die?

he caught tuberculosis (TB) and died July 14, 1904

Where was Chekov at the time of his death?

he was in the country writing where he saw the changing social structures in rural and urban settings (theme became prevalent in his plays)

What is Chekov considered?

one of the best writers of short fiction in history

What are Chekov’s most famous plays?

“The Seagull,” “Uncle Vanya,” “The Three Sisters,” “The Cherry Orchard”

What do Chekov’s plays represent?

represented for playwriting: recreate and express the “realism” of how people truly act and speak with each other and translating it to the stage

What do Chekov’s plays manifest?

the human condition as accurately as possible, humans (audience) reflect on their own definition of what it means to be human

In Russia what happened in 1861 to the serfs?

they were emancipated as they had virtually become slaves under Alexander II

After the serfs were freed who was not happy?

the landowners weren’t particularly pleased that the serfs would be freed

What did Alexander II do for the landowners?

he struck a deal with them that eased movement laws and shifted tax rates to make it more palatable

What were the serfs allowed to buy?

land but it had a special tax that would last for 50 years (another form of slavery)

What happened to Alexander II in 1881?

he was assassinated by the group People’s Will using a homemade bomb

Who rose to power after Alexander II?

his son Alexander III who was more conservative and traditional (stopped modernization)

What did Alexander III promote?

nationalism through “Russification” (eliminated all cultures except Muscovy Russian)

After Alexander III died in 1894, who became Tsar?

his son Nicholas II who Alexander was worried was too weak to rule

What was Bloody Sunday (January 22, 1905)?

imperial troops fired on group of unarmed protestors going towards the Winter Palace to give a petition; marked the start of the Russian Revolution of 1905 and was the precursor to the revolution of 1917 (end of monarchy, Soviet Union formed)

What was Chekov’s style?

literary realism (represents reality by portraying the everyday experiences as they are in real life)

What were some of the goals Chekov wanted in his works?

wanted to show the realness of people through their relationships with each other; characters had multiple dimensions (not 100% good or evil)

What did Chekov’s work change in theatre?

it represented a shift in theatre from overdone melodramas (not how people are in real life) and influenced many other play writes

Who is Konstantin Stanislavski?

famous Russian theatre practitioner, widely recognized as an outstanding character actor and the most famous theatre director and is known as one of the founders of Moscow Art Theatre (MAT); amateur actor at 14

What did Stanislavski regard theatre as?

an act of social significance (powerful influence on people, actors as people’s educator)

Who did Stanislavski impress in 1891?

Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and their collaboration changed Russian theatre

When did the Moscow Art Theatre open and what was showed?

October 14, 1898 with the performance of Aleksey K. Tolstoy’s “Tsar Tyodor Ioannovich”

What was Stanislavski’s famous method?

a more psychological approach, where actors utilize, emotional memory; entrance onto stage is not a beginning of action but a continuation of preceding circumstances; trained concentration and wide emotional range

How did Stanislavski implement his method?

a play was discussed for months, was strict and uncompromising in educating actors (“I do not believe you” and made them repeat it for hours)

What play did Stanislavski restage?

Chekov’s “The Seagull”

What did the restaging of “The Seagull” do?

heralded the birth of the Moscow Art Theatre as a new world theatre because it became a triumph; for Chekov, acclaimed a great playwrite after he vowed never to write another play before that because of his failures; later he wrote plays for Moscow Art Theatre

What did Stanislavski become?

a successful actor and director who was good at portraying complex characters psychologically

What did the Moscow Art Theatre do between 1922-1924?

it toured Europe and the US where Stanislavski was the administrator, director, and leading actor

Why did Stanislavski retire from acting and focus on directing?

he suffered a heart attack while acting in the “Three Sisters” (Moscow Art Theatre’s 30th anniversary)

What is Stanislavski’s legacy?

his work still survives today as well as his methods of acting