The Seagull

Anton Chekhov

Nov 2022 · Open Road Media

About this ebook

Love triangles and unfulfilled dreams abound at a Russian country estate in this nineteenth-century dark comedy.

Drama is unfolding on a stage at the country estate of ailing ex-civil servant Pyotr Sorin. His nephew Konstantin Treplev is producing his new play in Sorin’s garden with aspiring actress Nina. In the audience are Konstantin’s mother, successful actress Irina Arkadina, and her lover, famous writer Boris Trigorin. Konstantin is hoping to impress, but his mother seems unsympathetic. Meanwhile, everyone’s unfulfilled hopes and desires begin to fester, resulting in disaster . . .

First premiered in 1896, The Seagull continues to be performed on stages around the world. It has been adapted numerous times for theater, musicals, opera, ballet, and film, including a 2018 production starring Annette Bening and Saoirse Ronan.

About the author

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904) was a Russian doctor, playwright, and author. His best known works include the plays The Seagull (1896), Uncle Vanya (1900), and The Cherry Orchard (1904), and the short stories “The Lady with the Dog,” “Peasants,” and “The Darling.” One of the most influential and widely anthologized writers in Russian history, Chekhov spent most of his career as a practicing physician and devoted much of his energy to treating the poor, free of charge. He died of tuberculosis in 1904.