Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) on Navy Pier welcomes Russia's renowned Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg with its acclaimed production of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya for a limited engagement of five performances.
Coming to Chicago for the 150th anniversary of the Russian playwright's birth, Uncle Vanya concludes CST's 2009/10 World's Stage Series, which hosts renowned theater companies from around the globe. Led by Artistic Director Lev Dodin and hailed by Peter Brook as "the finest ensemble in Europe," Maly has found worldwide critical acclaim for this production of Chekhov's great work. Performed in Russian with projected English translation, the production offers American audiences the rare opportunity to experience Chekhov in his native tongue.
Performances of Uncle Vanya are scheduled March 17 through 21, 2010 in the Courtyard Theater. Tickets are $65-$75 and may be purchased by calling Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or by visiting the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com.
Maly Drama Theater's production of Uncle Vanya?Chekhov's tangled tale of love, desire and illusion set on a grand estate in the beautiful Russian country?received two of Russia's prestigious Golden Mask awards for Best Director (Lev Dodin) and Best Actor (Sergey Kuryshev) and The Prize of Italian Critics for Best Foreign Production. Maly's landmark production gives audiences the rare opportunity to witness one of Chekhov's earliest masterpieces performed by exceptional Russian actors in its original language. An emotionally and intellectually powerful experience, this richly engaging production has received acclaim from audiences and critics alike. London's Evening Standard proclaimed that the show "leaps with the greatest ease across the boundaries of language and centuries to resonate in the here and now."
Under the direction of Lev Dodin, the Maly is one of the world's most illustrious and respected theaters. Invited to join the Union of European Theatres, the Maly remains one of only three companies to be granted the status of "Theatre of Europe." The theater is comprised of a 56-member ensemble?most of whom were students of Mr. Dodin at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Theatrical Arts. Dodin's process with his company members is intense and extensive as he often rehearses his actors well into the run of a production so that plays deepen and intensify each time they are presented. His philosophy is that acting must be a "way of life" and his immersive training methods have made Maly an international leader in the development of theater arts. The company has received accolades and praise from audiences worldwide, hailed by The New York Times as "robust" and "bracingly dynamic," and London's Independent as "most impressive?and seductive." Maly has toured extensively throughout Europe, Australia, South and North America, and Southeast Asia with a number of critically acclaimed productions, including: a 20-year run of Brothers and Sisters, which won the USSR State Prize and the UBU Italian Prize; Stars in the Morning Sky, which garnered Britain's coveted Laurence Olivier Award; and Gaudeamus which received the French Theatre and Music Critics' Award. Among Mr. Dodin's many personal awards and honors are the Laurence Olivier Award, the TRIUMPH Russian National Independent Award, the Stanislavski Foundation Prize for Excellent Teaching and a Russian Presidential Award for Excellent Service.
Anton Chekhov published over 500 stories in his lifetime. His early dramatic works drew the attention of Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and Constantin Stanislavski, the directors of the Moscow Art Theater. His work helped lay the foundation for the international reputation of the Moscow Art Theater and of Stanislavski, whose theories of acting revolutionized twentieth-century theater. Chekhov was instrumental in the development of modern drama and, similar to Shakespeare, his contribution is so unique, it requires the term "Chekhovian," a style that places an emphasis on the detailed actions of daily life and the importance of unspoken emotions and motivations. Among his most famous and enduring plays are The Seagull, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard, as well as Uncle Vanya.
