“The Seagull” By Anton Chekhov

“The Seagull”
By Anton Chekhov
Published April 2013 by L.A. Theatre Works
1:49:47
Classic Drama
Directed by Rosalind Ayres
Calista Flockhart as Irina Nikolayevna Arkadina
T.R. Knight as Konstantin Treplev
Stephen Collins as Yevgeny Dorn
Gordon Clapp as Ilya Shamrayev
Logan Fahey as Semyon Medvedenko
Cindy Katz as Polina Andreyevna
Dakin Matthews as Pyotr Sorin
Bess Rous as Masha
Josh Stamberg as Boris Alexeyevich Trigorin
Kira Sternbach as Nina

This play is a great representation of art for the sake of art itself.  When first performed the play received jeers and heckles from the audience.  I can actually understand that.  For the most part this play is just a bunch of actors that talk about how they love what they do.  Sure there is more to it, but the whole play is pretty much full of itself to the point that the average reader/listener/play goer would not quite get it or really care enough to try.

I can easily say that this performance is outstanding performance wise, the cast did make me want to try to look for a deeper meaning.  But the material as a whole left me wishing I would have listened to another LATW performance.

Don’t let this keep you from looking for other performances from L.A. Theatre Works.  They do an outstanding job of putting you directly in the audience in these audio productions.

Publisher’s Summary

Here translated by Christopher Hampton, Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull is considered one of his most haunting and atmospheric character studies. A would-be playwright is at war with his egoistic mother while the town has become intoxicated by a sensational author. And as the alluring newcomer steals away Kosta’s only love, their new romance could have devastating consequences.

Recorded in Los Angeles before a live audience at The James Bridges Theater, UCLA in September of 2012.