Playwright: Anton Chekhov, adapted by Tracy Letts. At: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted St. Tickets: 1-312-335-1650; www.steppenwolf.org; $20-$75. Runs through: Aug. 26
People complain that "nothing happens" in a Chekhov play, yet by the end each character's life has changed forever. "Life is what happens while you're making other plans," as John Lennon wrote. If audiences think nothing happens, it's because Chekhov (1860-1904) was the pioneer of subtext; the unspoken thoughts and feelings conveyed through body language, attitude, behavior and pause and silence. So-called psychological realism becameand remainsthe dominant acting method in English-speaking theater.
Chekhov's 1901 masterpiece, Three Sisters, concerns siblings in a provincial city where their late father was the commanding military officer, putting them at the center of social and intellectual life. Now they talk and dream of returning to the glittering life of Moscow, where they were born. They never go, although there's no obvious barrier to their leaving. Youngest sister, Irina, just 18 as the play begins, longs the most for Moscow although she was a small girl when the family moved away. Eventually all must accommodate themselves to the disappointments of life and passing time, constant themes in Chekhov's major plays.
In this new adaptation, award-winning playwright Tracy Letts (Killer Joe and August: Osage County) sweeps away arcane Slavic details of the Russian original, thereby making the play more accessible. Irina celebrates her birthday instead of her "name day" and multisyllabic patronymic names (say, Natasha Alexandrovna or Nicolai Mikhailovich) are reduced to a single first or last name. Letts occasionally jars with contemporary slang which nonetheless remains true to character, as when bitter middle sister Masha declares, "More wine, please! Life sucks so let's live it up!"
And being true to character is what Chekhov requires in order to nail the subtext. This lavish production isn't fully realized in that sense, although it's heartfelt and handsome, as directed by Anna D. Shapiro (Tony-winning director of August: Osage County), with brilliantly authentic period costumes and furnishings by designers Jess Goldstein (costumes), Todd Rosenthal (scenic), Emily Guthrie and Maria DeFabo (props assistants) and Donald Holder (lighting). The director and the large, congenial ensemble cast also appreciate the play's many comic moments, to their credit.
However, the visceral emotions of the first three acts aren't entirely there. Some longings, desires, fears and disappointments are discussed but others are neither discussed nor indicated. For example, there's no physical proximity or body language between sullen Capt. Solyony and pretty Irina to indicate his desire for her. His jealous love declaration in Act III is a surprise to Irina, but shouldn't be to the audience. The fourth and final act achieves tension and critical mass, but without the emotional gut punch I've felt in a few great productions. Still, you won't say nothing happens. Deeper feelings may develop as the cast spends more time with Chekhov's characters, whom he loves dearly but allows to behave foolishly.