III Sisters Dramaturgy Note

 I want you to think about the best party you've ever been to. 

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How old were you? How long ago was it? Was it yesterday? Was it 10 years ago? Were you in college? Was it in high school? Was it at your parent's house? A friend's?

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Place yourself in that room. Music blaring. A dance floor, maybe. Surrounded by people you know, people you may not know. And people you really love. Or hate. Or both. 

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Now imagine that party is coming to an end, and it dawns on you that you may never experience something like this again. Are you trying to hold onto the feeling? Are you letting it go? Or would you do anything to keep it the way it is? 

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For our characters in III Sisters, the excitement of long over parties looms large as they mourn the anniversary of their patriarch's death and try and celebrate dear Irina's birthday — all while dreaming of the promise of Moscow Moscow Moscow. What they soon realize is that holding onto the past in pursuit of a false future keeps them stuck in perpetual inertia. 

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In our attempt to excavate the tricky waters of this Chekhovian text, we have discovered the deep psychological underpinnings of characters who discover the world they've constructed for themselves — like the perfect sitcom — is not the cold hard reality they actually exist in. As the play moves towards its inevetible conclusion, they must content with the idea that they may have to wake up — or turn off the TV — and accept what's right in front of them in order to move forward. 

 

Andrew Frye, November 2024