Plays, series 2 | Page 2

is more of a Shakespeare recitation than anything else,
and so neither here nor there.]
In "The High Road" we see, in an embryonic form, the whole later
method of the plays--the deliberate contrast between two strong
characters (Bortsov and Merik in this case), the careful
individualization of each person in a fairly large group by way of an
introduction to the main theme, the concealment of the catastrophe,
germ-wise, in the actual character of the characters, and the of a
distinctive group-atmosphere. It need scarcely be stated that "The High

Road" is not a "dirty" piece according to Russian or to German
standards; Chekhov was incapable of writing a dirty play or story. For
the rest, this piece differs from the others in its presentation, not of
Chekhov's favourite middle-classes, but of the moujik, nourishing, in a
particularly stuffy atmosphere, an intense mysticism and an equally
intense thirst for vodka.
"The Proposal" (1889) and "The Bear" (1890) may be taken as good
examples of the sort of humour admired by the average Russian. The
latter play, in another translation, was put on as a curtain-raiser to a
cinematograph entertainment at a London theatre in 1914; and had
quite a pleasant reception from a thoroughly Philistine audience. The
humour is very nearly of the variety most popular over here, the
psychology is a shade subtler. The Russian novelist or dramatist takes
to psychology as some of his fellow-countrymen take to drink; in doing
this he achieves fame by showing us what we already know, and at the
same time he kills his own creative power. Chekhov just escaped the
tragedy of suicide by introspection, and was only enabled to do this by
the possession of a sense of humour. That is why we should not regard
"The Bear," "The Wedding," or "The Anniversary" as the work of a
merely humorous young man, but as the saving graces which made
perfect "The Cherry Orchard."
"The Three Sisters" (1901) is said to act better than any other of
Chekhov's plays, and should surprise an English audience exceedingly.
It and "The Cherry Orchard" are the tragedies of doing nothing. The
three sisters have only one desire in the world, to go to Moscow and
live there. There is no reason on earth, economic, sentimental, or other,
why they should not pack their bags and take the next train to Moscow.
But they will not do it. They cannot do it. And we know perfectly well
that if they were transplanted thither miraculously, they would be
extremely unhappy as soon as ever the excitement of the miracle had
worn off. In the other play Mme. Ranevsky can be saved from ruin if
she will only consent to a perfectly simple step--the sale of an estate.
She cannot do this, is ruined, and thrown out into the unsympathetic
world. Chekhov is the dramatist, not of action, but of inaction. The
tragedy of inaction is as overwhelming, when we understand it, as the
tragedy of an Othello, or a Lear, crushed by the wickedness of others.
The former is being enacted daily, but we do not stage it, we do not

know how. But who shall deny that the base of almost all human
unhappiness is just this inaction, manifesting itself in slovenliness of
thought and execution, education, and ideal?
The Russian, painfully conscious of his own weakness, has accepted
this point of view, and regards "The Cherry Orchard" as its
master-study in dramatic form. They speak of the palpitating hush
which fell upon the audience of the Moscow Art Theatre after the first
fall of the curtain at the first performance--a hush so intense as to make
Chekhov's friends undergo the initial emotions of assisting at a vast
theatrical failure. But the silence ryes almost a sob, to be followed,
when overcome, by an epic applause. And, a few months later,
Chekhov died.
This volume and that of Marian Fell--with which it is uniform-- contain
all the dramatic works of Chekhov. It considered not worth while to
translate a few fragments published posthumously, or a monologue "On
the Evils of Tobacco"--a half humorous lecture by "the husband of his
wife;" which begins "Ladies, and in some respects, gentlemen," as this
is hardly dramatic work. There is also a very short skit on the efficiency
of provincial fire brigades, which was obviously not intended for the
stage and has therefore been omitted.
Lastly, the scheme of transliteration employed has been that, generally
speaking, recommended by the Liverpool School of Russian Studies.
This is distinctly the best of those in the field, but as it would compel
one, e.g., to write a popular female name, "Marya," I have not treated it
absolute respect. For the sake of uniformity with Fell's volume, the
author's name is spelt Tchekoff on the