“Life is boring, stupid, and dirty. It drags you down,” says Vanya in Anton Chekhov’s tragicomic masterpiece of dashed dreams, thwarted love, and eternal longing. The legendary Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg, which was created in 1944, has surged to become one of the great theaters of the world under artistic director Lev Dodin, who has led the company since 1983 and also directs this definitive interpretation of Chekhov’s classic play. Peter Brook has described the Maly as “the finest ensemble theatre in Europe.” Written in 1895, Chekhov’s most famous play begins as Professor Serebryakov and his young wife, Elena, arrive at the family’s remote country estate that has been looked after by Sonya (the Professor’s daughter from his first marriage) and her Uncle Vanya, the Professor’s brother-in-law. Vanya has sacrificed his life managing the estate for the Professor, whom he once revered, but is now filled with regret on lost time, a pain made worse by the arousing presence of Elena. “Performed in Russian with surtitles, this is a beautiful production that has the stillness and luminosity of a great painting.” (The Guardian)

Presented by the University Musical Society, www.ums.org.

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