Chekhov/Tolstoy Love Stories is a unique and fine program running through March 21, 2020 at New York’s Theatre Row. The Mint Theater Company presents this first ever pairing of these two adaptations by Miles Malleson.
The program is composed of two different plays based on short stories by Russian writers Anton Chekhov and Leo Tolstoy. The Artist is adapted from Chekhov’s “An Artist’s Story.” The second play, Michael, comes from Tolstoy’s “What Men Live By.” The entire presentation of both of these works runs 90 minutes with no intermission. The program has excellent staging and strong actors making both plays interesting to watch.
I am consistently intrigued by Russian literature. According to notes from “About the Authors” in the program booklet, Miles Malleson had a deep attachment to it. This lead him to produce the two works in this program. Malleson is described as “one of the most diversified talents in the British theatre.” He was an actor, playwright, and screenwriter with a lifelong leaning toward progressive activism. Two of Mr. Malleson’s plays, Conflict and Yours Unfaithfully, have been produced in recent years at the Mint.
The First Play – The Artist
Directed by Mint’s Artistic Director Jonathan Bank, The Artist tells the story of a painter whose specialty is landscapes. He becomes friendly with two different sisters. One flirts with him with idealistic ideas and questions. The second is politically based and she ridicules him about why he paints landscapes when so many people in the world are poor and hungry. The painter falls in love with the less invasive sister. Their plans are interrupted with a less than settling ending.
A beautifully painted landscape of the tree provides the backdrop for The Artist which employs much dialog and presentation of ideas about how people live. The scenes come alive through the acting of Anna Lentz, Brittany Anikka Liu, J. Paul Nicholas, and Katie Firth. Russian trained actor Alexander Sokovikov is a standout in the role of the artist, Nicov.
The Second Play – Michael
Jane Shaw provides direction for Michael, adapted from Tolstoy’s short story “What Men Live By.” It is the story of Russian peasant couple who struggle to earn enough money to live from the man’s business as a shoe repairman and creator of footware. In the midst of one of the lowest points of their lives, a mysterious stranger enters and lives with them. After he arrives, things start to go better for the business and the couple who were nearly destitute suddenly find themselves financially better off than they ever were. It is only at the end of the play where the young man’s true identity is revealed that the true focus of Tolstoy’s mystical tale of love and redemption comes together.
The tree featured as a background in The Artist is replaced in Michael by a painting of the roots of a tree. Russian music is played at various points in this selection. Michael covers a longer time span, one year, different from The Artist which is set over a few days. Excellent use of lighting allows a spiritual effect to be felt especially as the revelation of the young man, Michael, takes place.
The cast of Michael includes Katie Firth, Vinie Burrows, J. Paul Nicholas, Malik Reed, Alexander Sokovikov Anna Lantz, and Brittany Anikka Li.
Additional Information about Chekhov/Tolstoy:Love Stories
Performances: Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 PM with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2PM. Additional Wednesday matinees at 2PM on February 19th and March 4th & 11th; no evening performances on February 11th or 18th.
Location: All performances will take place at Theater Row (410 West 42nd Street between 9th and Dyer Avenues).
Tickets: Can be purchased online at Telecharge.com, by phone at 212-239-6200 or in person at the Theatre Row Box Office.