Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860 – 1904) was a Russian dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. As a dramatist he wrote five classic plays. These plays made a revolution in the theater world. And they are still very popular throughout a world. Anton Chekhov’s short stories are held to be among the best short stories in the world. He wrote 201 short stories.
His plays were produced and directed by famous Konstantin Stanislavsky in the Moscow Art Theater. Konstantin Stanislavsky directed Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, Sea Gull, The Bear and successfully premiered his last two plays, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. These five works present a challenge to the acting, directing and the dramatic art by itself.
These plays are very popular more than 100 years in more than 60 countries. Many adaptations have been made for movies in different countries.
The Bear‘s comedy derives from the characters’ lack of self-knowledge. The widow Popova fancies herself inconsolably bereaved, while Smirnov considers himself a misogynist. They are both stock examples of alazons: figures made ludicrous by pretending to be more than they actually are.
It had it’s first English language premiere in London in 1911. The United States premiere was in New York in 1915.
