Plays

Five masterful dramatic works from one of the world's best-loved playwrights, Anton Chekhov's Plays is translated with notes by Peter Carson, and an introduction by Richard Gilman in Penguin Classics. At a time when the Russian theatre was dominated by formulaic melodramas and farces, Chekhov created a new sort of drama that laid bare the everyday lives, loves and yearnings of ordinary people. Ivanov depicts a man stifled by inactivity and lost idealism, and The Seagull contrasts a young man's selfish romanticism with the stoicism of a woman cruelly abandoned by her lover. With 'the scenes from country life' of Uncle Vanya, his first fully mature play, Chekhov developed his own unique dramatic world, neither tragedy nor comedy. In Three Sisters the Prozorov sisters endlessly dream of going to Moscow to escape the monotony of provincial life, while his comedy The Cherry Orchard portrays characters futilely clinging to the past as their land is sold from underneath them. Peter Carson's moving translations convey Chekhov's subtle blend of comedy, tragedy and psychological insight. In his introduction, Richard Gilman examines how Chekhov broke with theatrical conventions and discusses each play in detail. Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was born in Taganrog, a port on the sea of Azov. In 1879 he travelled to Moscow, where he entered the medical faculty of the university, graduating in 1884. During his university years, he supported his family by contributing humorous stories and sketches to magazines. He published his first volume of stories, Motley Tales, in 1886, and a year later his second volume In the Twilight, for which he received the Pushkin Prize. Today his plays, including Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, and The Cherry Orchard are recognised as masterpieces the world over. If you enjoyed Plays, you might like Chekhov's The Shooting Party, also available in Penguin Classics.

Five masterful dramatic works from one of the world's best-loved playwrights, Anton Chekhov's Plays is translated with notes by Peter Carson, and an introduction by Richard Gilman in Penguin Classics. At a time when the Russian theatre was dominated by formulaic melodramas and farces, Chekhov created a new sort of drama that laid bare the everyday lives, loves and yearnings of ordinary people. Ivanov depicts a man stifled by inactivity and lost idealism, and The Seagull contrasts a young man's selfish romanticism with the stoicism of a woman cruelly abandoned by her lover. With 'the scenes from country life' of Uncle Vanya , his first fully mature play, Chekhov developed his own unique dramatic world, neither tragedy nor comedy. In Three Sisters the Prozorov sisters endlessly dream of going to Moscow to escape the monotony of provincial life, while his comedy The Cherry Orchard portrays characters futilely clinging to the past as their land is sold from underneath them. Peter Carson's moving translations convey Chekhov's subtle blend of comedy, tragedy and psychological insight. In his introduction, Richard Gilman examines how Chekhov broke with theatrical conventions and discusses each play in detail. Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was born in Taganrog, a port on the sea of Azov. In 1879 he travelled to Moscow, where he entered the medical faculty of the university, graduating in 1884. During his university years, he supported his family by contributing humorous stories and sketches to magazines. He published his first volume of stories, Motley Tales , in 1886, and a year later his second volume In the Twilight, for which he received the Pushkin Prize. Today his plays, including Uncle Vanya , The Seagull , and The Cherry Orchard are recognised as masterpieces the world over. If you enjoyed Plays , you might like Chekhov's The Shooting Party , also available in Penguin Classics.

"Plays" is a significant collection of dramatic works by the acclaimed Spanish playwright Jacinto Benavente, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1922. This volume showcases Benavente's versatility and his profound impact on modern Spanish theatre, representing a transition from the rigid traditions of 19th-century melodrama to a more nuanced, sophisticated form of social comedy and satire. The collection features some of his most celebrated pieces, including the masterpiece "The Bonds of Interest", a brilliant exercise in the commedia dell'arte style that explores the intricacies of human motivation and the intersection of truth and deception. Through witty dialogue and keen psychological insight, Benavente examines the social structures and moral dilemmas of his era, often utilizing a mix of realism and artifice to critique contemporary society. As a foundational figure in 20th-century drama, Benavente's writing remains essential for readers interested in the evolution of the stage and European literary history. His ability to blend irony with sentiment and intellectual depth with accessibility ensures that these plays continue to resonate as timeless explorations of the human condition. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

"Plays" is a significant collection of dramatic works by the acclaimed Spanish playwright Jacinto Benavente, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1922. This volume showcases Benavente's versatility and his profound impact on modern Spanish theatre, representing a transition from the rigid traditions of 19th-century melodrama to a more nuanced, sophisticated form of social comedy and satire. The collection features some of his most celebrated pieces, including the masterpiece "The Bonds of Interest", a brilliant exercise in the commedia dell'arte style that explores the intricacies of human motivation and the intersection of truth and deception. Through witty dialogue and keen psychological insight, Benavente examines the social structures and moral dilemmas of his era, often utilizing a mix of realism and artifice to critique contemporary society. As a foundational figure in 20th-century drama, Benavente's writing remains essential for readers interested in the evolution of the stage and European literary history. His ability to blend irony with sentiment and intellectual depth with accessibility ensures that these plays continue to resonate as timeless explorations of the human condition. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.