There were times Rob Bundy would rather watch paint dry than finish seeing a production of Anton Chekhov’s work, but the acting instructor still wanted to bring the Russian playwright’s work to Syracuse.

Bundy, who works in Syracuse University’s Department of Drama, searched for the perfect translation of Chekhov’s “The Seagull” to produce with a college-aged cast. After reading five versions, he knew he wanted to produce the play as a comedy, the way Chekhov had intended.

Despite Chekhov productions being notoriously difficult to liven up, “The Seagull” will come to the Syracuse Stage/Department of Drama Complex on Friday. The play’s cast and crew said they’re bringing the 19th-century piece to life to broaden the horizons of both student actors and the public.

SU drama faculty made the decision to produce a Chekhov play last year, and initial auditions were held in October. Bundy, who is directing the play, said production decisions are made to challenge student actors with periods and styles they haven’t performed before.

“Chekhov introduced into the world of theater a very new way to write plays and to act in them,” Bundy said. “When Chekhov started writing plays, he said, ‘No, I’m not going to write plays about kings falling from great heights of fame and to destitute. I’m going to write about just people.’”

“The Seagull” features a cast of 13, each with the same desires, fears, frustrations, hopes and loves a modern audience can relate to, Bundy said, despite having premiered in 1896 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Ali Harford | Presentation Director

When producing a Chekhov play, it’s difficult to avoid what Bundy calls the “Chekhov melees”: periods when characters on stage mope around, proclaiming their boredom.

“The biggest challenge is to think that just because nothing happens doesn’t mean that it’s boring,” Bundy said. “There’s all kinds of detail in terms of emotions and behavior and these kind of intersecting plots.”

Carly Caviglia, a sophomore musical theater major who will play the character Másha, said Chekhov is “a monster of its own.”

When Caviglia initially read the script, she said she was preparing herself to play a depressed, hopelessly-in-love addict of a character. But instead, the production will portray Másha in a hopeful light.

“She’s a fighter,” Caviglia said. “And she’s trying to be better, even though she can’t.”

Rupert Krueger, a junior acting major, will take the stage as Yevgény Sergéyevich Dorn. He called “The Seagull” one of the founding pieces of Western theater literature, and Chekhov one of the founders of modern theater.

He said it’s been a challenge for him to find where Dorn fits in with the rest of the characters. In this particular production, Dorn is someone who’s “watching life in front of him from a distance.”

Still, Krueger finds a kindred spirit in Dorn.

“Dorn is very similar to me,” Krueger said. “We both enjoy others’ company and we enjoy being around friends, but we’re not the best at actually speaking ourselves.”

The play brings out deep, troubling subjects, but Krueger said he and the cast have been trying to keep the show light.

“It’s these people living their lives, and even though there’s a lot going on in their heads, they still joke and they still want to have fun,” Caviglia said. “My favorite word for it is hope. We always say like, play the positive, find the hope. Because that’s what people do to survive.”

“The Seagull” will run from Friday to March 4. Tickets are available at the Syracuse Stage/SU Drama Complex box office or online.

Published on February 20, 2018 at 9:05 pm

Contact Ali: akharfor@syr.edu