Three Sisters

Anton Chekhov, RashDash

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781786824783
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

RashDash take on Chekhov in this reimagining of the classic play that brings the women to the forefront. "I'M GOING TO PHILOSOPHISE MY HEAD OFF." How should I make the most of being alive in this moment? How should I try to enjoy life whilst also being a good person who makes space for a better future? What is love and where do I find it? Why do the men in this play have all the lines? Sisters Olga, Masha and Irena. A drawing room. A dead, white man. A classic play. What are you expecting?

A drawing room. A comfy armchair, an uncomfortable, wooden chair, a chaise longue. A heavy, iron bath. A chandelier almost touching the ground. A drum kit, a piano, a synth, a violin, five microphone stands. A gauze changing room. A ticker-tape sign sits on top of the piano. A toy dog.

Behind the drawing room, from ceiling to floor, a pair of curtains have been drawn shut.

The room is full of colour. Pink floor, orange changing room, green armchair, pink piano stool.

Costume changes are very important in this show. Seeing the costumes and seeing the changes. The changes should take the time they take. The costumes should be selected for maximum fun and pleasure for both the wearer and the watcher.

ART ROOM 1

Costumes: big, fluffy ballgowns. The skirts are big and silly. They take lots of space and rustle when they move.

Black. The sound of a crowd applauding.

Lights.

A white bust of Chekhov is in the middle of the room.

Black. The sound of a crowd applauding.

Lights. A drawing room. Five women sit completely still. They gaze listlessly at the furniture or into the distance. The Chekhov bust sits on a plinth at the side of the room.

Black. The sound of a crowd applauding.

Lights.

A woman is dancing with a lampshade on her head.

A woman is posing with a toy dog.

A woman is swinging the chandelier.

A woman is playing ‘Sonata in G’, badly.

A woman is standing on a chair and vigorously conducting an imagined orchestra.

Black. The sound of a crowd applauding.

Lights. A drawing room. Scene 1 from The Play. OLGA sits in the comfy armchair, IRENA on the uncomfortable, wooden chair and MASHA is on the chaise, reading a dictionary.

OLGA Father died a year ago today. May the 5th, your birthday Irena. Yes, on this day last year it was so cold it was snowing and I was so sad I didn’t know how to go on. You fainted Irena, do you remember? You were lying so still it looked as if you had died, too. But now a whole year has passed and we’re talking about it so easily. You’re wearing such a lovely dress and you look so beautiful.

Cymbal strikes twelve.

The clock struck twelve then, too. As the coffin was taken into the cemetery there was a military band and a salute with rifle fire; because Father was in command of the brigade. There weren’t many people at the funeral though. Maybe because it was snowing so hard.

IRENA I don’t know if I want to think about all that today

OLGA Yes, father was made a brigadier and had to leave Moscow and so we all came with him of course. (A woman starts banging the drums.) Everything was so beautiful in Moscow – the blossom was

MASHA starts banging her head into the book she is reading.

IRENA switches rhythmically between Happy Face and Sad Face.

The synth player becomes a giant metronome swinging from side to side.

The drummer is banging louder.

The blossom was

She is banging louder and a synth has come in now too – bash, bash, bash.

The blossom was

Black. The sound of a crowd applauding.

Lights.

Three men in 1901 Russian military uniforms are standing on the furniture. A man reads from a copy of The Play.

MAN If a man starts talking about the fundamental or serious issues of life you call that philosophy, or possibly just sophistry. But if a woman, or a few women start philosophising, you call that…well I don’t know, what would you call that? What does it mean when a group of women talk to each other?

Everyone thinks about what it means when women talk to each other.

Black. The sound of a crowd applauding.

Lights.

Everyone is still thinking. No one has moved.

Black. The sound of a crowd applauding.

Lights.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR If you want to be taken seriously and to work on bigger stages and with m...