Adapted and Translated by Thomas F. Rogers from the Chekhov original.
(For production by Professional Groups, College/University Groups, Community Groups, High Schools)
The first of Anton Chekhov’s four major plays,* THE SEAGULL depicts the conflicting aspirations of writers and artists, old and young—the budding playwright Konstantin; his actress mother Irina; her philandering lover, the famous author Trigorin; and Konstantin’s soulmate Nina, who yearns to be an actress like his mother but is callously dallied with by Trigorin. A seagull he happens to shoot symbolizes both Nina’s failure and Konstantin’s actual fate when, in despair, he takes his own life. THE SEAGULL is a slice-of-life drama set in the Russian countryside at the end of the 19th century. Its cast of characters are dissatisfied with their lives. Some desire love. Some desire success. Some hope to realize artistic genius. Some critics view The Seagull as a tragedy about eternally unhappy people. Others, like Chekhov himself, see it as a “comedy”—a humorous albeit bitter satire, poking fun at human folly. This translation and adaptation was commissioned by one of the directors at BYU and performed there on at least two separate occasions. The great Russian playwright’s dramas anticipate the decline of Russia’s decadent aristocratic society on the eve of the 1917 Revolution.
*THE SEAGULL, THE THREE SISTERS, UNCLE VANYA, and THE CHERRY ORCHARD
PLAY DETAILS:
- 7M 5W 1G
- About 2 hours
- 1 Interior/Exterior
- Order # 3063
Available for production by ALL producing groups.
COMMENT:
From the INTRODUCTION by Tim Slover* to The Plays of Thomas F. Rogers: Personal Journeys :
“The Chekhovian works of [other] playwrights, fine as they are, lack one crucial ingredient that puts Rogers’s translation of The Seagull in a class by itself: his fluency in the language and immersion in the culture and history of Russia. Having lived and traveled extensively in Russia—both the urban centers and the remote hinterland—for decades, Rogers possesses a rapport with the people and a colloquial knowledge of the language, past and present, that has made him a leading scholar in and dramatic artist of all things Russian. When you read Rogers’s Seagull, you’re getting as close to the original Chekhov as an English translation is ever likely to get—both in linguistic fidelity and dramatic spirit.”
*Tim Slover is a Professor of Theatre at the Univeristy of Utah
PERUSAL MATERIALS:
- The PERUSAL PAGES file is in PDF format and contains the first two acts of this four act play: SeagullPERUSAL
- This and other plays by Thomas F. Rogers may be read in the new publication: The Plays of Thomas F. Rogers Volume 1 : Perestroika and Glasnost (the FIVE plays included are: Charades, Crime and Punishment, God’s Fools, The Idiot, and The Second Priest. You can purchase the five play volume HERE for $16.00 (saving $3.99 off the list price) and getting to read five of Tom Rogers’ plays about Russia before, during and after Communism. Introduction by Bob Nelson, Professor of Theatre at University of Utah.
- Volume 2 of The Plays of Thomas F. Rogers : Personal Journeys, is also available containing SEVEN titles: Frére Lawrence, Gentle Barbarian, The Immortal, The Seagull, Siegfried Idyll, The Wager, and A Good Man Is Hard To Find (a short play), all dealing with personal struggles, choice, accountability and consequences. The entire Volume 2 is available HERE.Introduction by Tim Slover, Professor of Theatre at University of Utah.
- EMAIL us for rights and information. Be sure to give us anticipated performance dates and the address of your group and, if different, your theatre. Please also include a contact name and phone number.
PURCHASE REHEARSAL MATERIALS:
(Any PDF purchased will be emailed to your email address — if you need to provide that to us (not the one on your PayPal account?), email us. CDs will be mailed to a snail mail address. Do not purchase rehearsal materials or pay for royalties until you have performance clearance.)
- Script in PDF format — Order #3063a : $25.00 (from which you will be authorized to copy for your production)
- First Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #3063d : $75
- Second Performance Amateur/Educational Royalty — Order #3063e : $65
- Professional Royalties will be quoted upon application
PRODUCTIONS
- Coming Soon
BILLING CREDITS
The following is how the credits should read in all programs, posters, fliers, handbills and other promotional advertising for the show:
The Seagull
Translated and Adapted by
Thomas F. Rogers
(from the play by Anton Chekhov)
NOTE: The names of the Playwright(s), Composer, Lyricist, and Bookwriter shall be equal in size, type, coloring, boldness, and prominence. No billing shall appear in type larger or more prominent than the billing to the Authors except for the title of the play. (In a press release all type, will of course, be the same size.)
ALSO:
THIS NOTICE MUST APPEAR IN ALL PROGRAMS, ON ALL POSTERS AND PUBLICITY MATERIALS AND INTERNET ADVERTISING/WEBPAGES FOR THE PLAY:
“The Seagull is presented through special arrangement with Leicester Bay Theatricals. All authorized materials are also supplied by LBT, www.leicesterbaytheatricals.com”
Available exclusively from
