by AMY STRILCHUK
Editor

Europe. Nineteenth century. Typical theatrical fare includes melodrama, romanticism, and well-made plays. Character emotions are expressed through actors' grand gestures, events are spectacular (ranging from fires to floods occurring live on stage) and plots involve tightly constructed cause-and-effect developments. Artists knew what they were expected to portray on stage and audiences knew what they could expect to view when they entered the theatre.

Enter Chekhov. Stage left.
Ibsen and Strindberg accompanying him.

And no one knew what to expect anymore. Chekhov's arrival to the stage marked one of the greatest shifts in theatre history and initiated some of the most creative developments ever known. Audience members were confused by his writing style, actors were required to master a new acting approach, and debate was sparked with one of the world's most renowned directors, Stanislavski. But they all adapted and they all were undoubtedly changed by his theatrical approach.

And here we sit - moments away from encountering the effects of those changes. Realistic acting styles, random sentences dispersed among seemingly fruitless actions, and events unfold in a manner you may not expect. Such activities may seem fresh to some, but others may get the sense that they've seen this type of play before. You may mutter under your breath: "Realism. Certainly not cutting edge anymore, is it?"