UNCLE CHERRY THREEGULL or THE DOCTOR IS LATE © 2012, Joe Zarrow - [email protected] - http://www.joezarrow.com NOTES: This play is an adaptation of Chekhov's four major plays. It is designed to highlight the harmonies between the texts, their musical four-act structure, and Chekov's evolution over his writing career. All four scripts are performed at once; moments and lines that are horizontally aligned are very roughly simultaneous. All text is taken from public domain translations of the plays. The actor playing the DOCTOR is the same across all four plays. Same true for SERVANT. Other actors may or may not double, depending on the director's wishes. [Lights up. The DOCTOR, a handsome man, is alone onstage. He addresses the audience.] DOCTOR: How long have we known each other? Have I changed much since then? [A bell rings.] FIRST MOVEMENT: ARRIVING THE SEAGULL UNCLE VANYA THREE SISTERS THE CHERRY ORCHARD [outside, in front of a [in the yard of a [the sisters are in the [in the nursery] theater] country estate.] dining room] TREPLEV: The play [VANYA enters, will soon begin. yawning] [He sets up the OLGA: It's just a year [LUBOV enters with curtain,takes a flower since father died. her entourage.] and pulls off petals one LUBOV: The nursery! by one.] [NINA enters. [DOCTOR sits down ANYA: [to SERVANT] Awkward moment to read newspaper and Some coffee, quickly. when TREPLEV tries SERVANT: Light the ignore everyone.] to kiss NINA.] samovar! TREPLEV: Places! [DOCTOR exits to get samovar.] [The audience of DOCTOR: [enters [VARYA and ANYA sit characters comes to with samovar]Will together, have a [Military men come in watch TREPLEV's they be here long? hushed conversations. and introduce play.] VANYA: A hundred LOPAKHIN subtly themselves. Jovial . years! gooses VARYA .] Silent.] [YELENA passes and VARYA: The place catches the attention of will be sold in August. the men. DOCTOR exits.] 1 [DOCTOR is the last [Violin music LOPAKHIN: Time one over to sit in the offstage.] does go. As you know, audience for your cherry orchard is TREPLEV's play.] to be sold to pay your debts. LUBOV: Cut the orchard down!? DOCTOR: There has [Party preparations been a great deal that continue. Gifts are was admirable in my brought to IRINA: a relations with women. top, a book, a cake. In me they liked, SOLENI sulks in the above all, a superior corner.] doctor. [NINA does her awful SERVANT: Chick VERSHININ: In two [LOPAKHIN continues interpretive dance chick chick. or three hundred years, to attempt to get performance.] [SONIA looks at the life on this earth will LUBOV's attention.] SERVANT in disgust. be unimaginably Why is she calling the beautiful and full of chickens?] wonder. ARKADINA: What [This play's characters [KULYGIN gently [PETER TROFIMOV decadent rubbish is all sit with coffee. takes MASHA's hand enters] this? DOCTOR rushes over to go. She pulls away. TREPLEV: Enough! as soon as TREPLEV He exits. The party's Down with the curtain. exits.] over.] [He rushes out.] ARKADINA: Ten [YELENA and SONIA [All exit except IRINA [LUBOV hugs years ago we had surround the doctor and BARON, who lock TROFIMOV and cries. music on this lake and look at him raptly. eyes. ] They all exit except a every night. And the VANYA claps nervous VARYA] doctor. He's sarcastically for the fascinating now, but he DOCTOR.] was irresistible then. [NINA enters, SONIA: When are you [NATASHA enters in a [ANYA enters, sleepy. disheveled, and is coming back to see us silly green dress. All VARYA sits her in the applauded, but she again? laugh at her except rocking chair and runs off anxiously. All DOCTOR: I can't say. ANDRE, and exit.] rocks her to sleep.] exit.] [Exits.] 2 DOCTOR [Alone, [All exit except [ANDRE comforts [Shepherds pipes play observing all the YELENA and VANYA. NATASHA, then gets in the distance. romantic action going He tries to kiss her. down on one knee and TROFIMOV peers at on.]: I must say I She pulls away.] proposes. They kiss ANYA from afar.] rather liked that play. passionately.] [MASHA enters. [Slow exits.] [Slow exits.] [Slow exits.] DOCTOR takes her snuff box and chucks it.] MASHA: I do not love my father, but my heart turns to you. I love Treplev! DOCTOR: How excitable you all are. But what can I do for you, my child? [A bell rings. Everyone except the DOCTOR and the SERVANT exits. The DOCTOR takes out a flask and drinks.] DOCTOR: [To the SERVANT.] How long have we known each other? Have I changed much since then? SERVANT: You were handsome and young then. Not anymore.. [SERVANT grabs the DOCTOR. As other performers enter, the SERVANT maneuvers the DOCTOR into his correct position for Movement 2. A bell rings.] SECOND MOVEMENT: SLIPPING [By the lake.] [Inside, late at night] [Same as before. 8 [A run-down shrine pm.] outside.] [Arkadina and a few [The PROFESSOR sits SERVANT [To Andre]: [EPIKHODOV plays other characters come bundled in a rocking The Chairman sends a guitar. Enter to set up a picnic. chair and coughs. book and some LOPAKHIN pursuing DOCTOR sits in. YELENA attempts to documents. Here. LUBOV.] ARKADINA pats NINA comfort him but is [Drops them in front of on the head.] rebuffed crankily.] him.] 3 SERVANT: Madam, I [SONYA enters to help [ANDRE reads by LOPAKHIN: You must cannot let you have YELENA. Then VANYA candlelight. NATASHA make up your mind. any horses today. enters with a candle. enters. He waves to Will you sell the land ARKADINA: But Lightning flashes.] her, but she exits or not? what if I must go to without acknowledging LUBOV: You ought to town? him and sings a get married. lullaby offstage.] [They bicker while PROFESSOR: No! [ENTER Trofimov. exiting. TRIGORIN Don't leave me alone LOPAKHIN snickers at passes, hands flowers with him. [Exits with TROFIMOV's shabby to DOCTOR.] SONIA.] [DOCTOR hands clothes.] bouquet to IRINA.] [DOCTOR exits. One [VANYA, drunk, tries DOCTOR: I can't live flower drops.] to pull YELENA into without you. [Exits.] [The DOCTOR pulls an embrace. She pulls EPIKHODOV over to away. She exits. Vanya the Uncle Vanya alone.] section.] [Nina silently plays [DOCTOR and MASHA: I'm already with the flower. He TELEGIN enter.] tired of winter. I've loves me, he loves me DOCTOR: Play! already forgotten what not.] TELEGIN: But---! summer's like. DOCTOR: Play! IRINA: We're going to [TELEGIN plays.] Moscow. [TREPLEV sneakily [They get [The BARON enters [All are shocked by the throws a dead seagull progressively rowdier.] drunk. Mirth and sudden noises from at NINA's feet. She SONIA: [entering] dancing.] elsewhere.] shrieks.] NINA: What Shhhhh! LUBOV: What's that? is happening to you? [VANYA and TELEGIN leave.] [TREPLEV SONIA: I beg you not [NATASHA and the approaches NINA, but to drink anymore. SERVANT enter, she sees TRIGORIN in DOCTOR: I won't NATASHA holding a the distance. drink anymore. baby.] [All exit except TREPLEV relents and BOTH: Shhhhhhh! TROFIMOV and leaves.] ANYA.] 4 [TRIGORIN and NINA SONIA: What is it? [All exit except [TROFIMOV and have an intimate DOCTOR: During ANDRE, who ANYA have an intimate conversation. He Lent I had a patient die continues to attempt to conversation. At the writes something in his under chloroform. work by candlelight. end, they kiss.] notebook and leaves.] SONIA: If I had a Enter NATASHA with friend or a younger a fur stole on. She sister, and if you knew pecks him on the cheek that she, well—loved and then leaves. A you, what would you concertina plays.] do? DOCTOR: I don’t know. I don’t think I should do anything. [exits.] NINA: It is a dream. [YELENA enters, IRINA: To Moscow! TROFIMOV: Let's go. embraces SONIA] To Moscow! [A bell rings. All exit except for the DOCTOR, who has been watching from the side of the stage, still drinking from a flask. Enter the SERVANT, who takes away the DOCTOR’s flask and gives him some coffee.] DOCTOR [to servant]: How long have we known each other? SERVANT: Lord, help me to remember. DOCTOR: Have I changed much since then? [A bell rings…it keeps ringing faster and faster until it is a fire alarm bell. The DOCTOR and SERVANT spend most of this third scene on the margins, organizing the other characters in this chaotic scene.] THIRD MOVEMENT: FALLING [The dining room. [The living room. [OLGA and IRINA's [A reception room cut Luggage everywhere.] Everyone is waiting.] bedroom. Fire alarms off from a drawing in the distance.] room by an arch.] 5 [NINA holds out her OLGA: The poor [A klezmer band plays closed hands to Vershinin's house was offstage.] VARYA: TRIGORIN. He taps nearly burnt. The We've hired a band, one. She opens the doctor is drunk, as if but how are we to pay other hand and gives on purpose, so nobody them? him the medallion VANYA: We were can go to him. inside. They politely asked by the Professor shake hands, and then to be here at one she exits.] o'clock. It is now a quarter to one. TRIGORIN [Reading SONIA: I am ugly. [NATASHA is LUBOV: I don’t the medallion, YELENA: You have attempting to tidy up. understand what he’s mumbling.] Page 121, lovely hair…allow me MASHA grabs a pillow doing so long in town. lines 11 and 12. [Exits. to speak to him. and rushes out The estate must be ARKADINA enters to [All exit except angrily.] sold, or not. deal with luggage.] YELENA.] [Enter TREPLEV with [DOCTOR enters with KULYGIN: [Entering] [TROFIMOV passes a bandage around his two large maps, one Where's Masha? The through.] LUBOV: head.] labeled "today" and fire seems to be dying You're twenty-seven ARKADINA: The one labeled "50 years down.