March 2, 2016 | Theatre,

A conversation between Rob Orchard and Anatoly Smeliansky

“When Chekhov is front of [Dodin] there is a conversation. Don’t see Three Sisters just to know about Chekhov. Chekhov is in a book you can read it. This is about Dodin and his actors who are trying to bring [Chekhov] back. . . This is the reaction of a contemporary person to what is going on [in the text].” – Anatoly Smeliansky

 

There are many great opportunities that come with presenting international work, but there is something exceptional about seeing two epic figures in the world theater canon in conversation. In seeing Lev Dodin direct a production of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters, you are witnessing the contemporary wrestle the classic and the result is a glimpse at a timeless universal truth.

 

It’s a lot to take it and a lot to unpack. Fortunately for us, our founder Rob Orchard has a long history of collaborating with the standout Russian artists of our era. One such relationship is with Anatoly Smeliansky, with whom he created the exchange program between the A.R.T. Institute and the Moscow Art Theatre. For decades Smeliansky has studied and worked with what he calls the “the monasteries” of the Russian theatre which include Dodin’s Maly Drama Theatre.

 

When it came to discussing the importance of Maly performing in Boston, we knew exactly who to call.

 

Anatoly Smeliansky (Theatre Scholar, Co-Head of Dramaturgy – A.R.T. Institute) and Rob Orchard (Founder, ArtsEmerson) recently joined us at The Paramount to discuss Anton Chekhov, Three Sisters, the relationship between Moscow and Cambridge, and the power of a theatrical performance. For a full version of this conversation, please visit: https://youtu.be/byO-q6nH9zU

 

Three Sisters – MAR 2 – 6 in Boston. TIX: http://bit.ly/1KArh2B