In 1900, the entire company of the Art Theatre, headed by its founders and directors VladImir Nemirovich-Danchenko and KonstantIn Stanislavsky came on a tour to Yalta in order to show the performances to Chekhov who was very seriously ill by that time.
Eight plays were performed, Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” and “The Seagull” among them. The performances were attended by MaxIm Gorky, DmItry Mamin-Sibiryak, Alexander KuprIn, Ivan Bunin and other writers. At one of the final performances Chekhov was presented palm branches tied with a red ribbon bearing an inscription: “To Anton Pavlovich Chekhov – a profound interpreter of the Russian reality. 23 April 1900”.
Chekhov knew the theatre company actors very well. And the feelings for each other with Olga KnIpper were more-than-friendly. Knipper’s stage debut coincided in time with the opening of MKT – she played the role of czarina IrIna in the theatrical production of Alexey Tolstoy’s play “Czar Fyodor Ioannovich” where Chekhov saw her. In the same year (i898) the rehearsal of “The Seagull” started where Knipper had the role of Arkadina. 9 September Chekhov attended the rehearsal for the first time. In 1901 the actress became his wife. Knipper played all major parts and was involved all performances of Chekhov’s plays — Elena Andreevna in ‘Uncle Vanya’, Mahsa in ‘Three Sisters’, Ranevskaya in ‘The Cherry Orchard’.
Actor Alexander Vishnevsky was Chekov’s schoolmate, however as time went, their paths separated. The former class fellows met at the opening of the Public Art theatre. After that Chekhov took an active part in the actor’s fate, for instance, the part of Kulygin in the ‘Three Sisters’ he wrote specially for him. He kept corresponding with the writer when the latter went to Yalta, and remained his loyal friend during Chekhov’s illness in May 1904, before the departure from Moscow abroad.
Vsevolod Meierhold got acquainted with Chekhov at the rehearsal of “The Seagull” in 1898. He considered Chekhov to be the greatest playwright of the present time. He suggested producing the plays of the writer even after he left the MKT.
Maria LIlina, the wife of Stanislavsky, developed into an actress due to Chekhov’s plays – she acted as Sonya in ‘Uncle Vanya’ and as NatAsha in ‘The Seagull’. The role of IrIna in the ‘Three Sisters’ was intended for Maria Andreeva as he praised highly her acting in ‘The Seagull’. VasIly Luzhsky was the first to play the part of Serebryakov in ‘Uncle Vanya’, Andrey in ‘Three Sisters’ and Lebedev in ‘Ivanov’. All in all, he played 64 parts in the Art theatre. MargarIta SavItskaya acted as Varya in ‘The Cherry Orchard’; Stanislavsky said that the role should have been given to her and her alone, from the very start.
Eight plays were performed, Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” and “The Seagull” among them. The performances were attended by MaxIm Gorky, DmItry Mamin-Sibiryak, Alexander KuprIn, Ivan Bunin and other writers. At one of the final performances Chekhov was presented palm branches tied with a red ribbon bearing an inscription: “To Anton Pavlovich Chekhov – a profound interpreter of the Russian reality. 23 April 1900”.
Chekhov knew the theatre company actors very well. And the feelings for each other with Olga KnIpper were more-than-friendly. Knipper’s stage debut coincided in time with the opening of MKT – she played the role of czarina IrIna in the theatrical production of Alexey Tolstoy’s play “Czar Fyodor Ioannovich” where Chekhov saw her. In the same year (i898) the rehearsal of “The Seagull” started where Knipper had the role of Arkadina. 9 September Chekhov attended the rehearsal for the first time. In 1901 the actress became his wife. Knipper played all major parts and was involved all performances of Chekhov’s plays — Elena Andreevna in ‘Uncle Vanya’, Mahsa in ‘Three Sisters’, Ranevskaya in ‘The Cherry Orchard’.
Actor Alexander Vishnevsky was Chekov’s schoolmate, however as time went, their paths separated. The former class fellows met at the opening of the Public Art theatre. After that Chekhov took an active part in the actor’s fate, for instance, the part of Kulygin in the ‘Three Sisters’ he wrote specially for him. He kept corresponding with the writer when the latter went to Yalta, and remained his loyal friend during Chekhov’s illness in May 1904, before the departure from Moscow abroad.
Vsevolod Meierhold got acquainted with Chekhov at the rehearsal of “The Seagull” in 1898. He considered Chekhov to be the greatest playwright of the present time. He suggested producing the plays of the writer even after he left the MKT.
Maria LIlina, the wife of Stanislavsky, developed into an actress due to Chekhov’s plays – she acted as Sonya in ‘Uncle Vanya’ and as NatAsha in ‘The Seagull’. The role of IrIna in the ‘Three Sisters’ was intended for Maria Andreeva as he praised highly her acting in ‘The Seagull’. VasIly Luzhsky was the first to play the part of Serebryakov in ‘Uncle Vanya’, Andrey in ‘Three Sisters’ and Lebedev in ‘Ivanov’. All in all, he played 64 parts in the Art theatre. MargarIta SavItskaya acted as Varya in ‘The Cherry Orchard’; Stanislavsky said that the role should have been given to her and her alone, from the very start.
