Not your standard Chekhov
Lev Dodin’s version of the Checkhov play, “Three Sisters,” is staged at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul through Friday. / Courtesy of LG Arts Center
Russian director breathes new life into restless souls of ‘Three Sisters’
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Dodin speaks with Korean reporters at a news conference in Seoul on Tuesday. / Courtesy of LG Arts Center
While preparing one of the most anticipated theater productions of the year, Lev Dodin expressed confidence about improving on previous performances of one of Anton Checkhov’s greatest plays.
The Russian director, who heads the Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg, left a strong impression with theatergoers here with his preceding works staged in Seoul ― "Gaudeamus’’ in 2001, "Brothers and Sisters’’ in 2006 and "Uncle Vanya’’ in 2010.
But none of these generated as much anticipation as his production of "Three Sisters,’’ which opened at the LG Arts Center in Seoul Wednesday.
The play was performed in other cities before arriving in Seoul, including New York last year, where it was showered with acclaim, with critics writing glowingly about Dodin’s ability to coax a surprising level of emotional depth from his performers.
Talking to journalists in Seoul on Tuesday, Dodin talked about reworking the Checkhov classic to add an element of emotional vibrancy and allow actors the room to execute a broader range of expression. This strengthens tension and gives the play a contemporary feel, he said.
Dodin stressed that the changes weren’t an attempt at reinterpretation, but were necessary to authentically represent what Checkhov was intending to convey through his characters when he wrote the play in 1900.
Whether it’s Three Sisters or other plays, Chekhov’s characters are full of contradictions. While thespians have portrayed these characters through expressions of tentativeness and even lethargy, Dodin claims this only underscores how much Checkhov is misunderstood.
"Chekhov was a doctor as well as a playwright. He expected to live a short life and lived it actively and his works reflect his thoughts on life and death and raison d’etre. I think this is the key to understanding Chekhov,’’ he said.
Three Sisters revolves around the dreams and despondency of Olga, a schoolteacher living in a small town in regional Russia, her married sister Masha, the youngest sibling Irina at a time of revolutionary changes.
Dodin, who describes Three Sisters as the most complex of Chekov’s plays, rewrote a number of lines and added actions that weren’t in the original to more firmly establish the characters and broaden their emotional range. He avoided the use of state-of-the-art technologies such as video and stage effects and is comfortable about focusing on the strength of the acting.
The set designed by Dodin's longtime artistic partner Alexander Borovsky is the simple facade of a wooden house, which contributes to building dramatic tension as it slowly moves toward the audience during the performance.
"The characters in Three Sisters always seek something they lack. Each character is a protagonist in this play and I had to understand them and how their fates are interconnected in order to direct this play. I comprehend Chekhov and connect Chekhov to our lives through this process and the process of finding answers is staged as a play here," Dodin said.
“The house could be a metaphor for hope or happiness for the three sisters, but the house moving forward symbolizes hope betraying them and their happiness becoming someone else’s reward,” the director said.
Dodin brought 17 actors from the Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg and a pianist to accompany the play. Most members of the troupe have been with Dodin for a long time, learning from him since childhood.
"We share a bond of sympathy about what a play should be and the troupe is growing up with me,’’ he said.
The performance is in Russian with Korean subtitles, but the director didn't seem to care about language barrier.
"When I first visited Korea, I got the impression of cold, urban cities, but now I like how the country has a unique harmony of tradition and modernity … I am waiting for Korean audiences through my play. I think the language of the play surpasses cultural or ethnic differences and hope to share it with Korean audiences here,’’ he said.
"I also like to visit countries that have already staged my plays, because there are audiences who saw my productions and I can communicate with them once more.’’
Dodin's "Three Sisters" runs through Friday. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 70,000 won. For more information, visit www.lgart.com or call (02) 2005-0114.