'Three Sisters' Talks Tragedy and Truth

Art imitates life, as life imitates art. This is especially apparent in “Three Sisters,” which runs on the Loeb Mainstage from Nov. 7 to 15. In this particular production, directed by Anna A. Hagen ’15 and co-produced by active Arts Executive Emma R. Adler ’16 and Andrew P. Gelfand ’15, renowned contemporary playwright Sarah Ruhl takes the classic Chekhov play and gives it a modern twist.

The play centers around a quartet of siblings—the three sisters Olga (Rachel A. Orol ’15), Masha (Rachel A. Gibian ’15), and Irina (Chase Sui Wonders ’18) and their brother Andrei (Matthew S. Krane ’15)—whose worlds have been turned upside-down by their father’s death and their subsequent forced relocation from Moscow. As the play progresses, the siblings struggle to develop their identities, ambitions, and relationships, all while longing to go back home, taking on ill-fated romances, and revealing troubling truths about life.

Despite the long history of “Three Sisters”—its first performance was in 1901—the play is still inherently relatable. “[“Three Sisters”] is all about people who are yearning for something or striving for something,” Hagen says. “They’re all looking for perfection, but at the same time they don’t quite realize the really good things around them, and that’s the tragedy of it.” For many, especially college students, the mixed sentiment of ambition and uncertainty may sound familiar.

Also central to “Three Sisters” is the idea of individual complexity. “It’s a weird play in that there are 10 characters, [all of whom] are incredibly detailed,” Hagen says. “It’s not like most plays, which have a couple of main characters who are really fleshed out and then a lot of flatter characters. Everybody is so rich, and the actors are doing beautiful work with that.”

To Gelfand, the play highlights an interesting—and very real—disconnect between ideology and reality. “I think it’s important to realize [that] life can either happen to you or you can make it happen,” Gelfand says. “I think the characters know this, but the extent to which they follow this is up in the air. I think there’s something real to that: that we can have values, but values don’t necessarily translate into actions.”

Nevertheless, stage manager Madison L. Taylor ’16 acknowledges the emotional progression of characters throughout the story: “It’s been really interesting to watch these characters develop and watch these levels of emotions come out and see that reflected in these [video] projections…[these] glimpses into their minds.”

Gelfand notes that despite all the individual complexity, “Three Sisters” is still at heart a collaborative project. “It’s so incredible how much of a team effort this was,” Gelfand says. “In many ways, I think that all theater is a community act. But the juggling act that goes on between the actors of this large ensemble cast is truly impressive…. You’re able to get a taste of everyone, and that’s the most satisfying thing.”

An innovative aspect of the play is its use of a video camera that characters use to document their lives. “We have characters at various points in the show speaking into a camera, and it’s then projected up [onto the wall],” Adler says. “It’s instantaneous…. It’s really cool. I think it’s a much more thought-provoking version of [the video confessionals] you see a lot in reality TV shows. I guess we’re playing with that a little.”

According to set designer Katherine B. Ingersoll ’15, the set plays an important role in creating a mood of desolation. “We wanted to create a set that would provide an expansive field for the characters to feel lost in,” Ingersoll says. “We achieved this through a white, minimalistic set, which also served to emphasize the use of live video projection. The set provides a medium through which the characters can perform for themselves or for others.”

When asked about the overarching themes of “Three Sisters,” Adler is thoughtful in her response. “You know ‘toska’? It’s this Russian word that’s despair and yearning all together, and there’s no way to truly express it in English. But [‘Three Sisters’] is toska…. Love and toska.”