Chekhov wrote the play ‘Three Sisters’ in 1900, at the order of the Moscow Art Theatre. After he met the MKT (EmKhaTe) actors during the Crimea tour in April 1900, he made a decision to write a play especially for the company of the Art Theatre, with due account for the individuality of the performers of the roles. The role of Masha was written especially for Olga Knipper.
He worked at the play in Yalta and Gurzuf, in summer and autumn 1900. In end October, Chekhov gave the ‘Three Sisters’ to the theatre, to its directors Konstantin Stanislavsky and VladImir Nemirovich-Danchenko. The premiere performance took place in Moscow, 31 January 1901. Chekhov was on vacation in Nice and learnt the details from the letters and newspapers. Knipper wrote: ‘Stories are told and told all over Moscow about the “Three Sisters”. To put it in a nutshell, it is the success of Chekhov and the success of our theatre’. The role of Masha became one of the most important in the actress’s repertoire. The picture on the left, in a frame, is a copy of the unique playbill of the first performance of “Three Sisters” in MKT (then called the Moscow Public Art Theatre). The playbill reads that all the tickets for the premiere performance were sold out in advance.
At the opening the parts were cast to actors the following way: Masha — Olga Knipper, Olga — Maria SavItskaya, Irina — Maria Andreeva, Chebutykin — Alexander Artyom, VershInin — Konstantin Stanislavsky, Andrey— Vladimir Luzhsky, Kulygin— Alexander Vishnevsky, Tuzenbakh — Vsevolod Meierkhold, Natasha — Maria Lilina.
Few are aware that the part of Tuzenbakh was especially written for Vsevolod Meierkhold. Chekhov felt sympathy with the young actor. In April 1900, the writer lodged Meierkhold in his house in Yalta during the Crimea tour of MKT. Afterwards, he corresponded with the actor until the end of his life, and followed closely his career. Meierkhold was the first to play two parts in Chekhov’s plays in MKT: that of Treplev (‘The Seagull’) and Tuzenbakh (‘Three Sisters’). The second part, unfortunately, turned to be the last Meierkhold’s role in MKT: he left the Arts Theatre due to disagreements on a matter of principle with Stanislavsky. The part of Tuzenbakh was later played by VasIly Kachalov. There are pictures of the MKT actors who participated in the Moscow premiere of “Three Sisters” in 1901, displayed on the stand.
He worked at the play in Yalta and Gurzuf, in summer and autumn 1900. In end October, Chekhov gave the ‘Three Sisters’ to the theatre, to its directors Konstantin Stanislavsky and VladImir Nemirovich-Danchenko. The premiere performance took place in Moscow, 31 January 1901. Chekhov was on vacation in Nice and learnt the details from the letters and newspapers. Knipper wrote: ‘Stories are told and told all over Moscow about the “Three Sisters”. To put it in a nutshell, it is the success of Chekhov and the success of our theatre’. The role of Masha became one of the most important in the actress’s repertoire. The picture on the left, in a frame, is a copy of the unique playbill of the first performance of “Three Sisters” in MKT (then called the Moscow Public Art Theatre). The playbill reads that all the tickets for the premiere performance were sold out in advance.
At the opening the parts were cast to actors the following way: Masha — Olga Knipper, Olga — Maria SavItskaya, Irina — Maria Andreeva, Chebutykin — Alexander Artyom, VershInin — Konstantin Stanislavsky, Andrey— Vladimir Luzhsky, Kulygin— Alexander Vishnevsky, Tuzenbakh — Vsevolod Meierkhold, Natasha — Maria Lilina.
Few are aware that the part of Tuzenbakh was especially written for Vsevolod Meierkhold. Chekhov felt sympathy with the young actor. In April 1900, the writer lodged Meierkhold in his house in Yalta during the Crimea tour of MKT. Afterwards, he corresponded with the actor until the end of his life, and followed closely his career. Meierkhold was the first to play two parts in Chekhov’s plays in MKT: that of Treplev (‘The Seagull’) and Tuzenbakh (‘Three Sisters’). The second part, unfortunately, turned to be the last Meierkhold’s role in MKT: he left the Arts Theatre due to disagreements on a matter of principle with Stanislavsky. The part of Tuzenbakh was later played by VasIly Kachalov. There are pictures of the MKT actors who participated in the Moscow premiere of “Three Sisters” in 1901, displayed on the stand.
