THREE SISTERS

Anton Chekhov, a Russian playwright, best known for four classics, Uncle Vanya [1894], The Seagull [1896] Three Sisters [1901] and The Cherry Orchard [1904] is one of three pioneering, influential writers in modernism; next to Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg. Three Sisters is a social, early 20th-century piece which focuses on just this - Modernism [modern industrial Societies] questioning literary and social traditions through humour and irony. The play located in a 20th-century Russian house, so the imagery I explored, researched and found from other adaptation of Chekhov’s classics is upholstery wooden furniture with rugs, patterned fabrics, silverware and decorative porcelain platters etc. Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, 2012 [image below] inspired me with using Chaise Lounge, Bedroom Screens and Trunks for the bedroom scene, allowing a 360-degree view, not to obstruct any audience members. The Three Sisters are continually complaining about the present, Masha feels trapped in an unhappy marriage while Irina, dreams for the future and Olga finding happiness in the past. Grainne Byrne initial ideas for the pieces, ‘to explore the theme of time, as it is the enemy of the sisters. All they do is talk about change, but they do nothing to affect it.’ As the shape of the main stage was a hexagon; Grainne’s initial idea was to imagine this as the face of a clock, and the characters, especially Anfisa were the hands ticking away. This movement is an enthralling idea that the characters themselves are running their own time away.

Grainne expressed a beautiful idea of a monochromatic set and lighting design with the little colour shown as possible to portray the reflection of the character of their dull unfulfilling lives. This play is an ensemble piece exploring all character’s situations with a flow of characters entering and exiting constantly; Grainne spoke about having furniture components with characters gathering around them, for instance, the piano. The other restriction seen from the outset was the thrust space design and sightlines with a metre-high difference. The type of furniture I needed to research was objects the actors could face each direction, for instance, stools and backless seats. Act 1 is the celebration of Irina’s 21st birthday party and the script mentions ‘They all sit down to luncheon in the ballroom.’ and in Declan Randal’s design the upstage central balcony presented itself as a rather good ‘dining table’ imagery. Taking away the nonessential physical table and dining utensils, the representation of dinner was still definite instead of involving a table to seat all 11 characters and place on the main stage.

https://gsauk.org/events/galleries/2018/three-sisters-photos-steve-porter