Anton Chekhov’s play The Seagull can be described as the tragi-comedy. The adaptation of this play was performed by USF students at Studio Theater of University of San Francisco on April 12, 2014. The central theme explored in this work is the willingness of a person to be contentment in one’s life. The main problem is that the characters depicted by Chekhov often fail to do it, and this is the main cause of their suffering.
One can say that the performers were able to create a very realistic and authentic atmosphere, and in this way, they helped the viewers see that the action of the play takes place in the nineteenth century.
This goal was mostly achieved with the help of the scenery. In particular, one should focus on the design of the interior. Furthermore, the costumes suggest that the characters do not live in contemporary society. Additionally, the play included primarily diegetic sounds whose origins could be easily identified.
I can say that the scenic design was very successful because it enabled the audience to sense the atmosphere of the county estate originally envisioned by Anton Chekhov. For example, one can speak about the selection of furniture or clothing of actors.
The lighting was rather bright, and the spectators could see the movements of actors as well as the entire stage. The director relied mostly on diegetic sounds. In other words, the spectators could hear only the voices or the sound of objects which could be seen on the stage. This choice seems to be quite justified because, in this way, the director made the production more authentic.
Additionally, I can tell that acting lived up to the expectations of viewers. The performers managed to create a single ensemble in which every person perfectly understood that he/she needed to play. Furthermore, there was no discrepancy between the voices of actors and their non-verbal behavior.
This is one of the reasons why the acting was very convincing. Moreover, the performers were able to understand the inner world of characters that they were supposed to portray. So, they did not underplay their parts. This is one of the reasons why this production was worth seeing.
There were several outstanding performances that attracted my attention. For example, I can mention the encounter between Treplev and Nina. The actor, who played the role of Treplev, succeeded in showing the disappointment of this character.
In my opinion, the viewers could better understand his unrequited love for Nina and a sense of disappointment with his creative talent; moreover, the audience could empathize with this individual. Overall, this scene impressed me profoundly.
Furthermore, it is possible for me to say that the stage was comfortably balanced. Moreover, different elements of the production were fully consistent with one another. Each of them was aimed at conveying at showing the existential problems of the main characters. There were no elements that could confuse the audience. On the whole, the director was able to reflect the ideas and themes that Anton Chekhov initially attempted to explore.
I can say that this play produced an indelible impression on me because the performers prompted me to relive the experiences of the main characters. Overall, persuasive acting is one of the main details that I can single out. It was critical for the success of this production. However, the scenery was also vital for the authenticity of this performance.