‘After the success of “The Seagull” and “Uncle Vanya” it was vital for the theatre to produce a new play by Chekhov’, — wrote KonstantIn StanislAvsky. — Since that time on, our fate was in the hands of AntOn PAvlovich: if the play is available, it will be a fortunate issue for the theatre season, if not, the theatre will lose its relish’.
The play “Three Sisters” was finished by Chekhov in autumn 1900, soon after the Arts Theatre actors visited him in Yalta. However he kept working at it over the autumn in Moscow and besides, was making changes to the text while living in Nice, i.e. when the play was already put into rehearsal.
At the beginning of the rehearsals there was a situation when “the play was at a stalemate”, as explained by Stanislavsky, “it did not sound, was not alive, seemed boring and too long”, it lacked “something magic”. Stanislavsky remembered that at some point he discovered that the characters of the play “did not make much of their sorrow, but on the contrary, were looking for joy, laughter, good spirits; they wanted to live a happy, not a wretched life”. “After that the work moved along in high gear”, - he wrote.
Soon (11 January 1901), VladImir NemirOvich-DAnchenko, who came back from abroad, joined the company in staging the play. He wrote to Chekhov:

Not only did Chekhov discuss the progress of the rehearsals with the directors, but also gave advice, clarifications and recommendations to the actors engaged in the performance under production. For example, he wrote to Olga Knipper about the part of Masha: “Watch it! Do not put on a sad face, in no act. It may be angry, but not sad. People who have been keeping sorrow to themselves for a long time and got used to it, they may be whistling from time to time, and often remain thoughtful”. Chekhov did not agree to the mise-en-scène proposed by Stanislavsky for the episode with NatAsha. Stanislavsky proposed: “When making the round of the house during the night, Natasha turns off the lights and looks fr the thieves under the pieces of furniture – is that OK?”. Chekhov answered: “But it seems to be better if she walks along the stage, down the line, looking at nobody and nothing, à la lady Макбет, with a candle — it will take less time and will be more frightful”.