Ivanov Amazes

The Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre’s Chekhov Celebration continues with the classic Ivanov, Anton Chekhov’s play that explores the meaning of life and love in pre-Revolutionary Russia.  Not nearly as dark as other Russian works, Ivanov is billed as a comedy.  Comedy may be pushing it a little far. Although there were moments of laughter (and indeed, one member of the audience in Saturday evening’s performance erupted into laughter even when the rest of us didn’t find the humor); I would term it a tragi-comedy.

Nike Doukas as Anna seeks solace from David Whalen's Nikolay

Pulling on real life experiences as a doctor and tuberculosis sufferer, Chekhov weaves the story of Nikolay Ivanov, a self-loathing, deeply in debt gentleman farmer whose once-loved yet now disdained wife is suffering from the disease.  He wants to be alone, to read and intellectualize his existence, but his neighbors simply won’t allow it.  While the characters whine about boredom and spend their hours pursuing gluttony, liquor, gossip and card playing as further evidence of their dissipated lives, the audience is reluctantly drawn in to observe his suffering with an interesting mix of tears and laughter.

David Whalen portrays the title character replete with Hamlet-like angst exuding an unexplained grief coupled with frustration and self-hatred.    Selfish to the end, Nikolay finally ends his suffering instead of finding happiness with the young and impressionable Sasha (ingénue Katya Stepanova) on their wedding day.

Martin Giles and Katya Stepanova

Well-staged in The Charity Randall Theatre in the Stephen Foster Memorial on Pitt’s campus in Oakland, the small platform is transformed  alternatively as an estate garden, an elaborate reception area replete with crystal chandeliers and a well-appointed study.

Tom Stoppard offers this adaptation to modern audiences by brilliantly bringing the dialogue up to current, understandable prose.  The costumes by PICT veteran designer, Pei-Chi Su, evoke the glamour and excess of the Russian elitist society.

l to r:  Alan Stanford, Matt DeCaro, Jonathan Visser, Martin Giles

The supporting cast is strong, with Alan Stanford as the indomitable Count, Megan McDermott as the title seeking, moneyed young widow Marfa, Matt DeCaro as the scheming estate manager Borkin, and Leo Marks as the idealistic (and honest, as he continuously reminded us) doctor who attends the ill-fated Anna Ivanov (Nike Doukas).  Martin Giles, the emasculated chum from University days Pavel Lebedev, offers Nikolay refuge from the stresses of his depressing home life despite his wife Zinaida’s incessant harping on collecting the money owed to them.  Zinaida’s (ably portrayed by veteran Helena Ruoti) acerbic disdain for Ivanov typifies the classes within classes of most elitist societies.

Having seen two of the four offerings in the series, I was entranced by the talent of the cast and their ability to portray lead and supporting roles seamlessly from play to play.  This is no mean feat, considering the length of the monologues and the interleaving timing of the performances.

Ivanov continues for 3 more performances, through August 25th.

Photo Credit:  Suellen Fitzsimmons

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

"Three Sisters" Makes Me Glad There is Divorce!

"Three Sisters" Makes Me Glad There is Divorce!

Anton Chekhov

Presented by the

Pittsburgh Irish Classical Theatre

Review by JoAnn R. Forrester, ‘Empress of Biz

Ah Chekhov…he makes me glad there is divorce!

Let me first say---- that I am truly delighted at the excellent quality of productions that the Pittsburgh Irish Classical Theatre presents to our city.  PICT gets it Right!   They are a true asset to the arts in our city.   PICT’s presentation of the play Three Sister by Anton Chekhov is another example of an exceptional high quality production.

I personally have a love/hate relationship with Chekhov.  I recognize he is, was and always will be recognized as a comedo-tragic genius and as such is revered for his work and the impact he had on the development of theater in the 20^th century.

Cast of Three Sisters with Adrian Blake Enscoe

 and Vera Varlamov in the forefront as Fedotik and Irina

Photos by Suellen Fitzsimmons

 Chekhov was writing in a time of rigid class structure and social restrictions reigned.   The role of women was very limited and personally I find this annoying.  The  recurring theme in the play was the desire of the three sister, Olga,(Nike Doukas) Masha (Allison McLemore) and Irina (Vera Varlamov) to return to Moscow, the city of their birth and childhood were there was, arts, culture, refinement and excitement.  They were waiting for their scholarly brother, Andrei (Christian Conn) to take them to Moscow.  They were forbidden by the social mores of the day to pick up and go there by themselves, which of course I was ready to stand up and yell, “Get on that train and go to MOSCOW!”  This of course from my vantage point of 100 plus years of discrimination to women with so many of our restrictions.  Now of course these have changed (except our own internal ones) have been removed or highly modified.  Fortunately I did not stand up and yell that.although I was heard to mumble it and I was “shushed” a couple of times.

Vershinin (David Whalen) & 

Masha (Allison McLemore)

photo by Suellen Fitzsimmons

Three Sisters opening act at the Prozorov house sets the stage, with all the character, seen and unseen are introduced, with their yearnings, desires, weaknesses, infidelities and betrayals being set into place. It is a birthday party for the youngest, Irina, who has just turned 20 and is filled with joy and expectation of what life, love and finding the purpose of her life in “Oh my” work.  As each sister and the men who love or interact with them are introduced we see the roles they are assigned in life and are unable to break.  The older sister, Olga teacher and spinster! Masha, middle sister the one with the caustic wit, married at 18 now at 25, dreadfully bored with her husband and drawn into affair with the new commander of military Vershinin, (David Whalen)! Commander Vershinin by the way is a very unhappily married man with two little girls.  This is where my line about divorce is appropriate. And many theatre goers commented on exit, “Why didn’t he just divorce his wife?”

The brother Andrei who has such hopes but marries so badly and lives a life of lost dreams!   His wife Natasha, (Megan McDermott) is the original mean queen and made one to yell again.”Stop her she is a bully, stand up to her you people.” Again I did not.  But isn’t that the goal of the playwright, to get us to react.  I was so mad at Natasha; I wouldn’t even talk to her if I met her.  Kudos to the excellent acting of Megan McDermott!

 For the next three acts over a four year time, we see, love bloom, affairs of various sorts, boredom, frustration, acts of charity and cruelty, characters develop and blossom, hopes dash and dreams changed..All the stuff of life… yet so ably presented by the cast of PICT! And react we did, so much so that we are silently screaming:

Get on that train folks..and go to Moscow! Or at least to PICT’s presentation of "Three Sisters."  The play runs through August 26^th in the Stephen Foster Memorial in Oakland. You can find full details at:  http://picttheatre.org

JoAnn Forrester is the Host of Empress of Biz, Reinvent in Rugged Times, a business Talkcast syndicated on PPLMag, Pittsburgh's First Internet Radio and TV Network.  You can hear JoAnn at Business friends every Thursday at 9 AM on the TalkShoe network or archived later at:  http://pplmag.com