Checking out Chekhov A Guide to the Plays for Actors, Directors, and Readers [Paperback]

This book paints a vivid portrait of Anton Chekhova Russian writer whose elusive personality and richly detailed plays have left an indelible imprint upon the worlds theatre. Every page reveals the joys and difficulties of his short life, his comic sensibility, deep compassion, and often puzzling use of dramatic style and genre. Carnicke demystifies Chekhovs playsforged from his literary innovations, avid theatergoing, love of vaudeville, and loathing of melodrama. She interweaves biographical and cultural information with insightful case studies and close analysis to leave her reader with a full and fresh perspective on an artist who is as foundational to theatrical traditions as are Shakespeare and Stanislavsky.Carnickes book brilliantly captures the essence of Chekhov. I cant think of a better introduction to the work of this most elusive of modern writers.Carnicke . . . takes a different kind of look at the plays of the Russian master and the man himself. She presents not simply an analysis of the plays but a discussion of the way they introduced many innovations into the theater.Writing with sharp insight, Carnicke reveals the often-overlooked clues essential to appreciating and producing successfully the elusive plays of Chekhov. This book is indispensable reading for anyone who wishes to uncover the mysteries of how his plays really work.Checking out Chekhov brings the enigmatic writer to life in a profoundly exciting way. It is a transformative book for any actor or lover of the theatre!Carnickes book excels as an overview of the whole phenomenon of Chekhovian drama. It astutely situates his dramaturgy in relevant contexts: from late 19th-century Russian literature, including Chekhovs own short stories, to contemporary theatrical practices. Its signal achievement is to provide a deeper understanding of Chekhovs plays, free from the distorting clich?s that too often attend them.Sharon Marie Carnicke, a professor of Theatre and Slavic Studiesl³-