The production focuses on the cruelty of desire evoked by the individuals’ struggle against the accepted laws of social and moral co-existence. And the beauty which accompanies this feat. It is set at the turn of a century, when romantic idealism and reality meet at an existential crossroads. The characters dream of a beautiful change in their lives, when this is not experienced they are sent spiraling into a profound questioning of existence. It is the universal tale of the wish for a new life, to go back home, to younger happier days, or to thrust forward to a time when all our dreams have come true.

The original English translation composed by Arthur Adair, was accomplished through a transliteration, from the original text of Anton Chekhov by Russian born; New York based filmmaker, Irina Patkanian. It was created in a desire to construct an efficient, accessible English theatrical text. The translation is contemporary in sensibility and structure, yet, timeless in tone. It was achieved through a process, which rested on the principles of simplicity and clarity.

The production is founded on an exploration of poetry, sound and movement in an effort to convey story through a means other than language. Utilizing the translated text of Chekhov, musical compositions of Piotr Tchaikovsky, and Sergei Rachmaninov, and original compositions, soundscapes, and choreography, the production aims to balance storytelling between the visual and aural, intellectual and meta-physical, Dionysian and Apollonian, forms and experiences of expression.

As an actor, designer, playwright, and director, Arthur Adair, is a resident artist of LaMaMa ETC. He is also an international performing member of the Great Jones Repertory Company, Teatro Eliocentrico, Teatro Pathologico, Coro Tajin, The Modern Theatre of Myth, and Augenblick. This production will serve as his production Thesis requirement for an MFA degree in Theatre Directing from Brooklyn College. He has created two previous original theatrical installations at LaMaMa ETC. “Sound of the Sun”, was a 52 member wordless International Opera exploring various culturally diverse myths on the act of creation through destruction. It was produced in February 2002, in a response to the twin towers tragedy. His second original production, “SSS-t-o-n-e-ddd, an American Oration”, was a one-man, musically accompanied, meditation on War and America. It was created as an intimate challenge to the anti/pro war and anti/pro American sentiments of the public at the height of the pre-Iraqi war tension.

Three Sisters marks his first theatrical collaboration with a dead man.

The Company:

Production – Arthur Adair (Director/Translator), Melissa Hardy (Dramaturg), Teresa Hartman (Assistant Director), Carla Bosnjak (Stage Manager), Marissa Bischoff (Assistant Stage Manager), Heather Paauwe (Classical Music Consultant), Irina Patkanian (Transliteration).

Design – Arthur Adair (Lighting/Set/Props), Karen Anselm (Costume), Michael Baldwin (Choreographer), Russell Cappellino (Hair and Make-up consultant), Richard Cohen (Composer), Stefano Zazzera (Sound/Composer).

Cast – Ben Pirtle (Rode), Michele Cuomo (Olga), Caesar Del Trecco (Chebutykin), Alana DiMaria (Irina), Sara Elsen (Maid/Nurse), Jason Grechanik (Solyony), Chris Oden (Vershinin), Rick Redondo (Kulygin), Andrew Rothkin (Andrei), Jessica Marie Smith (Natasha), Joseph Sousa (Fedotik), Pierre van der Spuy (Tuzenbach), Liza Bryn (Masha), Wendy Callard-Booz (Anfisa), Joe McGee (Ferapont).