Seagull
Featuring Steppenwolf co-founder, the superlative Jeff Perry, with ensemble members Sandra Marquez, Caroline Neff, Karen Rodriguez, Eric Simonson, and Namir Smallwood, Steppenwolf boldly brings Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's Seagull to stage. Considered one of the greatest writers of the 19th century, Seagull is regarded as the first of Chekhov's four major plays (Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and Cherry Orchard). In addition, he produced 14 plays and wrote over 200 short stories.
Its storyline is a saga of romance, failed hopes and dreams, unreciprocated love, depression, suicide, and conflict. Set in the Russian countryside, we see an inspiring young symbolist writer name Konstantin preparing to introduce his new play. He is joined by his muse, Nina. His infatuation with her is the driving force that seems to propel him into success or insanity. However, his mother, Irina, a successful yet fading actress, is a curse to him. Seeking to find himself and please and convince her that he can also be just as triumphant as a writer as she was as an actress, she spurns his play as a farce, and it brings out the Jekyll and Hyde in Konstantin.
Things turn for the worst when Irina lavishly praises her lover, the renowned writer Boris Trigorin, but provides no love or support for Konstantin. Konstantin, fighting off despair over his abilities, becomes insanely jealous of Boris's accomplishments, which is flamed when he learns that Nina is smitten with Boris and longs to spend time with him, not Konstantin.
As they move upon the birch trees, Nina and Boris talk about his success and her wishes to be an actress. Boris seeks to explain to Nina that his life is filled with a compulsion to continuously write, bringing nothing more than interior suspicions about previous writings. His love for the lake and the freedom of the Seagull is like an escape for him, but she sees him as being pampered and spoiled by success.
“A young girl grows up beside the lake. She loves the lake like a seagull, and she is happy and free as a seagull. But one day, by chance, a man comes and sees her. And having nothing better to do, he destroys her, like the seagull.”
Konstantin, dealing with depressed feelings of loneliness, and jealousy, shoots himself, which causes his sister Masha so much anguish that she vows to tear love out of her heart, banishing it from the roots'. Masha's self-loathing behavior believes the world has forgotten her and hopes that marrying someone who loves her, that she doesn't love, will cure her of the hopelessness of finding love.
In addition, Chekhov introduces us to an uncle (Peter), loved by Konstantin but needs a change of scenery. A doctor (Yevgeny) who spent all of his savings on a trip, and servants Polina and Llya.
The Seagull reveals how humanity's blessings in the eyes of others can be nothing more than a curse for those who are blessed. It's a haunting reminder that no one truly loves themselves without doubting yet requiring the confirming, comforting love from others. If we fail to love ourselves, we are all hopelessly dammed by the expiring time of life, which esteems only its conclusion.
Anton Chekhov, who loved comedies, was forced to support his family. He used his gift of writing short stories to help them and pay for his schooling. Although the Seagull is considered a comedy, it flows more like Chekhov's tragic upbringing of lost love from his despotic father, who was physically abusive.
“Our talents we got from our father, but our soul from our mother. ”
He is known to have described his childhood as suffering, and the Seagull seems to be him giving us a glimpse of his life. Then, providing more credence to Chekhov's grieving, comedic writing style, which desperately craved the acceptance of love, only to receive misery from its lack, he wrote a full-length comic drama, Platonov, also known as Fatherlessness and A Play Without a Title.
When Chekhov wrote The Seagull, his Orthodox Christian upbringing, the old testament book of Deuteronomy considered seagulls listed among the unclean animals and had a reputation for thieving, bickering, and impurities; which could have been his reasoning for using this title. The play's ending is somewhat demoralizing, as no one seems to find happiness, especially Konstantin, who withdraws from life, feeling useless.
Unfortunately, we can all find some portions of ourselves in these characters. For example, I find myself in the character of Boris Trigorin; through the struggles of seeking humanity's perfection, he loves finding the simplicities of life and enjoying them.
One of the significant quotes from the play, "In our work, it's not the fame; it's not the glory or what you dream about. It's how to endure. How to bear one's cross and have faith," demonstrates Chekhov's brilliance of understanding humanity. Which I'm sure he pulled from his Orthodox Christian studies.
The Seagull is a well-crafted story that will have your mind swirling with possibilities or depressed with the chaos of failed dreams.
The cast of ensemble members acting in the performance of Seagull was stimulating enough to hold your attention (Namir Smallwood was outstanding as the bewildered Konstantin). Still, the play itself is a morbid reminder of what most people would like to forget. Because of the cast, Seagull is an exhilarating theater groupie performance.
Let's Play Theatrical Review Recommends Seagull at Steppenwolf Theatre.
Steppenwolf Theatre
By Anton Chekhov
Translated, adapted, and directed by ensemble member
Yasen Peyankov
April 28 - June 12, 2022
