Three Sisters

by Sarah Ruhl, Anton Chekhov (Contributor), Sarah Ruhl (Adapted by)

Transplanted from their beloved Moscow to a provincial Russian town, three sisters-school teacher Olga, unhappily married Masha, idealistic Irina-yearn for the city of their childhood, where they imagine their lives will be transformed and fulfilled. Three Sisters is the portrait of a family grappling with the bittersweet distance between reality and dreams.

Genres: Plays

98 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2015

About the author

Sarah Ruhl (born 1974) is an American playwright. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award for a distinguished American playwright in mid-career.

Originally, she intended to be a poet. However, after she studied under Paula Vogel at Brown University (A.B., 1997; M.F.A., 2001), she was persuaded to switch to playwriting. Her first play was The Dog Play, written in 1995 for one of Vogel's classes. Her roots in poetry can be seen in the way she uses language in her plays. She also did graduate work at Pembroke College, Oxford.

In September 2006, she received a MacArthur Fellowship. The announcement of that award stated: "Sarah Ruhl, 32, playwright, New York City. Playwright creating vivid and adventurous theatrical works that poignantly juxtapose the mundane aspects of daily life with mythic themes of love and war."

Reviews

[Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as part of #12PlaysIn12Months. It's the first Checkhov I've read and I really enjoyed it.
Olga, Masha and Irina are the Three Sisters of the title and along with their brotehr Andrei, they form the nucleus of the story. Displaced from their beloved Moscow to provincial Russia, they mourn their lost potential and the cultural and sophisticated company they remember from Moscow.
The one slight relief to their situation is the presence of a batallion of soldiers - offering company and conversation outside the village norm.
The variety of the sisters situations and relationships offers insight into the different aspects of each of their personalities, whilst also showing the commonalities of their upbringing and longing for Moscow.
Their are various discussions between the sisters, their brother and the soldiers about the purpose of life, finding value and purpose through work and also about the passage of time and the human condition.
This is a play that looks at a small family as a microcosm of the attitudes and culture of Russia at the time but it also captures many timeless questions about contentment, purpose and fulfillment in life. I will definitely read more Checkhov!

[Maya]

all work and no play with this guy

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely my favorite translation of Chekhov's great play.

[Indira Wolf · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a play that needed to be read for class. Need I say more? -_-

Somes notes:

Ver fire, Nat being mean to maid, lots of philosophy. The women wanted to leave a mark on the world, while working but not working. All of a sudden romance. Like the hell. One minute they barely acknowledged one another, the next they are engaged to be married. Kulygin enjoyed his wife, she despised him and fell for another, a married other... Gods..

[Zachary Pareizs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chekhov and Ruhl put their whole chussy and ruhlussy into this!!!

[Violet Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Anton! Thank you Sarah! To know! To know!

[bella issa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this to an edit of "that's so true" or possible "I know the end" would be crazy (I love this play)

[kc · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my most beloved translation of three sisters and still come back for it every couple of years.

[Natalie Halm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Ruhl translation is the only way to go