The Seagull is Anton Chekhov's brilliant four-act play that is considered a monumental work of drama, and one of the most sublime literary examinations of the complexities of love and friendship. First performed over a century ago, this play remains one of the most widely staged productions throughout the world. The four protagonists in The Seagull are all artists; Trigorin is a well-established writer, Arkadina is a renowned yet aging actress, her...

Halvard Solness is a successful master builder who has acquired both fame and fortune, yet he's convinced his greatness will fade with the younger generation. He is committed to retaining his success, despite its negative effect on others. Halvard Solness is an established architect who is well-known throughout his town. Over the years, his professional life has thrived at the expensive of his family. Despite the consequences, his career has become...

Mrs Alving has dedicated herself to suppressing knowledge of her late husband's sexual exploits but their son Oswald's inherited syphilis is the living proof. Oswald is to marry Regina, the maid, but it is revealed that she is Captain Alving's illegitimate daughter. Mrs Alving's memorial to her husband, a newly built orphanage, is burned to the ground. As the play ends, we are left wondering whether Mrs Alving will help Oswald to escape the final...

Chekhov's tragicomedy, replete with the kinds of characters we have come to know as "Chekhovian, " incorporates unrequited loves and a murder plot while exploring the social roles of women and the notion of progress. Curt Columbus's splendid new translation and adaptation underscores the contemporary relevance of this prophetic play. The play portrays the visit of an elderly professor and his glamorous, much younger second wife, Yelena, to the rural...