“Three sisters” by A. P. Chekhov in the production by P. Sharoff, a student of K. S. Stanislavsky

The subject of research is the drama by A. P. Chekhov “Three sisters” in the productions of two Russian directors - K. S. Stanislavsky (1906, 1921-1922) and P. Sharoff (Peter Sharoff, 1956). Both interpretations were shown on European stages in particular in Vienna at intervals of 30 and 50 years, and the critics believe them to have much in common. This similarity was not a coincidence because Sharoff, a former student of Stanislavsky and an artist of the Moscow Art Theater, considered the production of his teacher to be a kind of standard. This paper gives a short background of the reception of Chekhov’s drama in German-speaking countries at the beginning of the 20th century in literary and theatrical criticism. It is shown that at first Chekhov was perceived as a writer-pessimist. In sharp contrast to this opinion were life-affirming touring performances of Stanislavsky and the version of Sharoff. These directors were the first to get into an argument with the traditional interpretation of Chekhov in the West. After some decades, experts recalled their productions as examples of theatrical art and true understanding of the Russian writer. The scientific novelty of this paper is a comparative analysis of two directors’ approaches in the interpretation of “Three sisters.” A conclusion is made that both productions combine the desire for an adequate transfer of the original and the closeness in the stylistic decision.

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