THE SEAGULL Curriculum Guide by Huntington Theatre Company

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Standards

Guidelines for Attending the Theatre

Artists

Themes for Writing and Discussion

Mastery Assessment

For Further Exploration

Suggested Activities

ÂŠ Huntington Theatre Company Boston, MA 02115 September 2013 No portion of this Curriculum Guide may be reproduced without written permission from the Huntington Theatre Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Education & Community Programs Inquiries should be directed to: Donna Glick | Director of Education Huntington Theatre Company 264 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115

AUTHOR CREDITS This curriculum guide was prepared for the Huntington Theatre Company by: Anneke Reich | Education Professional Intern with contributions by: Alexandra Truppi | Manager for Curriculum & Instruction Donna Glick | Director of Education Rebecca Curtiss | Communications Manager Dan Pecci | Creative Services Coordinator Katelyn Diekhaus | Education Intern

STANDARDS

Student Matinee performances and pre-show workshops provide unique opportunities for experiential learning and support various combinations of the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts. They may also support standards in other subject areas such as Social Studies and History, depending on the individual play’s subject matter. Activities are also included in this Curriculum Guide and in our pre-show workshops that support several of the Massachusetts state standards in Theatre. Other arts areas may also be addressed depending on the individual play’s subject matter.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Reading Literature: Key Ideas and Details 3

Reading Literature: Craft and Structure 6

• Grade 8: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

• Grade 8: Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

• Grades 9-10: Analyze how complex characters (e.g. those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the themes. • Grades 11-12: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop related elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

• Grades 9-10: Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature. • Grades 11-12: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view required distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

Reading Literature: Craft and Structure 5

Reading Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7

• Grade 8: Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.

• Grade 8: Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.

• Grades 9-10: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks), create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise. • Grades 11-12: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

• Grades 9-12: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g. recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist).

MASSACHUSETTS STANDARDS IN THEATRE Acting

Reading and Writing Scripts • 1.7 — Create and sustain a believable character throughout a scripted or improvised scene (By the end of Grade 8).

• 2.7 — Read plays and stories from a variety of cultures and historical periods and identify the characters, setting, plot, theme, and conflict (By the end of Grade 8).

• 1.12 — Describe and analyze, in written and oral form, characters’ wants, needs, objectives, and personality characteristics (By the end of Grade 8).

• 2.8 — Improvise characters, dialogue, and actions that focus on the development and resolution of dramatic conflicts (By the end of Grade 8).

• 1.13 — In rehearsal and performance situations, perform as a productive and responsible member of an acting ensemble (i.e., demonstrate personal responsibility and commitment to a collaborative process) (By the end of Grade 8).

• 2.11 — Read plays from a variety of genres and styles; compare and contrast the structure of plays to the structures of other forms of literature (Grades 9-12).

Technical Theatre

• 1.14 — Create complex and believable characters through the integration of physical, vocal, and emotional choices (Grades 9-12). • 1.15 — Demonstrate an understanding of a dramatic work by developing a character analysis (Grades 9-12). • 1.17 — Demonstrate increased ability to work effectively alone and collaboratively with a partner or in an ensemble (Grades 9-12).

• 4.6 — Draw renderings, floor plans, and/or build models of sets for a dramatic work and explain choices in using visual elements (line, shape/form, texture, color, space) and visual principals (unity, variety, harmony, balance, rhythm) (By the end of Grade 8). • 4.13 — Conduct research to inform the design of sets, costumes, sound, and lighting for a dramatic production (Grades 9-12).

Connections • Strand 6: Purposes and Meanings in the Arts — Students will describe the purposes for which works of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and architecture were and are created, and, when appropriate, interpret their meanings (Grades PreK-12).

• Strand 10: Interdisciplinary Connections — Students will apply their knowledge of the arts to the study of English language arts, foreign languages, health, history and social science, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering (Grades PreK-12).

AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE Attending live theatre is a unique experience with many valuable educational and social benefits. To ensure that all audience members are able to enjoy the performance, please take a few minutes to discuss the following audience etiquette topics with your students before you come to the Huntington Theatre Company. • How is attending the theatre similar to and different from going to the movies? What behaviors are and are not appropriate when seeing a play? Why? • Remind students that because the performance is live, the audience will affect the actors’ performance. No two audiences are exactly the same and no two performances are exactly the same — this is part of what makes theatre so special! Students’ behavior should reflect the level of performance they wish to see. • Theatre should be an enjoyable experience for the audience. It is absolutely all right to applaud when appropriate and laugh at the funny moments. Talking and calling out during the performance, however, are not allowed. Why might this be? Be sure to mention that not only would the people seated around them be able to hear their conversation, but the actors on stage could hear them, too. Theatres are constructed to carry sound efficiently! • Any noise or light can be a distraction, so please remind students to make sure their cell phones are turned off (or better yet, left at home or at school!). Texting, photography, and video recording are prohibited. Food and gum should not be brought into the theatre. • Students should sit with their group as seated by the Front of House staff and should not leave their seats once the performance has begun.

ARTISTS

The Playwright: Anton Chekhov

Chekhov’s family

“Every work of art has to express some great idea. True beauty is always a serious matter.” — Dorn, The Seagull, Act I

Anton Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860, in a town called Taganrog in southern Russia, the third child of six. His father, Pavel Yegorovich Chekhov, was the son of a former serf, who purchased freedom for himself and his family from the nobleman who owned him. A devout Orthodox Christian who owned a grocery store and was very musical, Pavel was also physically abusive. Chekhov’s mother, Yevgeniya Morozov, was known within her family as a wonderful storyteller. Her father was a traveling cloth salesman, so Yevgeniya raised her children on stories of her travels from when she was a young girl. In translations of Chekhov’s letters to his brother, Mikhail, Chekhov reflected, “Our talents we got from our father but our soul from our mother.” Chekhov — later in life — wrote very critically of his father and his abusive tendencies. It is thought that the common use of hypocritical characters in his stories and plays is based on Pavel. Chekhov was very close with his mother, however, and praised her greatly in his writing.

Anton Chekhov, playwright (1898, by Osip Braz)

As a child, Chekhov attended the Greek Boys School in his home town of Taganrog, where he received a religious education, and then the Taganrog Gymnasium for Boys, from which he graduated in 1879. In 1876, Chekhov’s father went bankrupt, and most of the family moved to Moscow. Chekhov, however, stayed in Taganrog to continue his studies at the Gymnasium and take care of his family’s home. While living apart from Chekhov, his mother became both physically and mentally ill, which upset Chekov deeply. He wrote to his cousin, Mikhail, on May 10, 1877: . . . If I send letters to my mother, care of you, please give them to her when you are alone with her; there are things in life which one can confide in one person only, whom one trusts . . . My second request is of more importance. Please go on comforting my mother, who is both physically and morally broken. My mother’s character is such that the moral support of others is a great help to her. It is a silly request, isn’t it? . . . There is no one in this wicked world dearer to us than our mother, and so you will greatly oblige your humble servant by comforting his worn-out and weary mother . . .

During his time at the Taganrog Gymnasium for Boys, Chekhov enjoyed attending and performing in amateur theatrical productions. He worked many jobs to pay for his education, from catching and selling goldfinches, to selling short sketches to newspapers, and sent any leftover money to his family in Moscow, accompanied by spirited, funny, letters. While still a young student, he wrote his first full drama, Fatherless, and read as much as he could. In 1879, Chekhov was able to move to Moscow, and became financially responsible for his whole family. He continued to write sketches to make money, and became skilled at composing short stories depicting contemporary Russian life. He became known as a satirist of Russian street life. In Moscow, Chekhov attended medical school at the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University and became a physician. Though he earned enough money through his medical practice to support his family, his income remained modest because he treated his poor patients for free. Medicine was Chekhov’s occupation but his passion for writing only grew as his popularity as a writer did.

Taganrog Gymnasium for Boys

the opportunity to discuss the trees and flowers he planted with visitors.

A young Anton Chekhov

Unbeknownst to his family, Chekhov contracted tuberculosis, a disease which would trouble him for the rest of his life. In 1887, with his health suffering, Chekhov moved to Ukraine to rest. A theatre manager there hired him to write a play. The result of this commission, titled Ivanov, was the first play Chekhov wrote that was actually produced. In 1892, Chekhov bought Melkhovo, a country estate outside of Moscow, where he would write some of his best-known works including Uncle Vanya and The Seagull. Chekhov’s parents and a sister lived with him in the main house, and he was a responsible and helpful landlord to his tenants on the property. Despite his own health problems, Chekhov offered medical services and organized relief funds for local villagers suffering from cholera and famine. He took great pleasure in the garden surrounding the small cottage he built to serve as a writing space, and relished

The Seagull premiered at the Alexandrinksy Theatre in Petersburg, Russia, on October 17, 1896. The play was not well received. The audience booed, and the lead actress playing Nina, Vera Komissarzhevskaya, was so impacted by the audience’s negative response that she lost her voice following the opening performance. Chekhov was incredibly discouraged, and claimed in a letter the following day that he would “never either write plays or have them acted” again. However, one theater director in Petersburg was quite impressed with Chekhov and persuaded acting theorist Constantin Stanislavsky to see the show, which resulted in a longstanding relationship with the famous director/actor. Stanislavsky’s breakthrough style of realism, established in his book An Actor Prepares, supported Chekhov’s writing, so when The Seagull was performed at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1898, with Stanislavsky himself playing Trigorin, it acclaimed. Chekhov’s friend, Vladimir Nemirovich, remembered the applause sounding like “a dam breaking.” In 1901, Chekhov married Olga Knipper, the actress who played Arkadina in the Moscow Art Theatre’s production of The Seagull. He had remained disinterested in marriage longer than was considered socially acceptable at the time,

Chekhov & his wife, Olga Knipper

but his marriage with Olga was very special. They maintained a largely long distance relationship for the duration of their marriage, but corresponded frequently. Their letters have since become widely published and document their opinions of theatre, including criticisms of the popular acting styles at the time. Though Chekhov’s marriage played an important role in his life, he was not faithful to his wife — it is estimated that he had at least 33 other affairs. Chekhov had several significant relationships during his marriage to Olga, such as with opera singer Lika Mizinova, Lydia Yavorskaya, a young actress, and Lydia Avilova. Aspects of his relationships with these three women are depicted in pieces of The Seagull. For instance, when Lika Mizinova wished for a more serious relationship with Chekhov but did not receive it, she began an affair with a married novelist, Potapenko, who abandoned her when she became pregnant. This particular storyline is a direct reflection on the story of Nina and Trigorin. Pictured above: Stanislavsky in The Seagull

In May of 1904, Chekhov’s tuberculosis became fatal. Olga sat with him while he died peacefully. Though Chekhov did not achieve a great deal of popularity outside of Russia during his own lifetime, his legacy had an enormous impact on the literary and theatrical communities of the world in years to come.

Pictured below: Chekhov, later in life

Pictured left: Guest cottage at a Melikhovo, where Chekhov wrote The Seagull

Chekhov and the Moscow Art Theatre, 1899, first reading of The Seagull

The Seagull

“It is the feeling of beauty that speaks in us, and beauty cannot endure what is commonplace and trivial.” — Anton Chekhov in a letter to his uncle, January 18, 1887

The Seagull is considered to be the first of Chekhov’s great plays and is defined by its complex, layered characters and heavy use of subtext. (Subtext is the message that is implied in the text, rather than what is directly stated.) Many well-known actors made their mark in the theatre world through playing a role in The Seagull. A few notable productions: • 1938: Uta Hagen made her Broadway debut playing Nina at the Shubert Theatre in New York. • 1992: Laura Linney starred as Nina, Jon Voight as Trigorin, and Ethan Hawke as Konstantin, at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre. • 2001: Meryl Streep starred as Arkadina, Christopher Walken as Sorin, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (among other notable cast members) in the New York Shakespeare Festival production in Central Park.

THEMES FOR WRITING & DISCUSSION Fame & Celebrity

In The Seagull, Nina dreams of leaving behind her small town and restrictive family to make a glamorous, exciting life for herself as an actress. In her first one-on-one conversation with Trigorin, a famous Russian writer, she confesses her desire to live the sensational life of an artist. “What a wonderful life,” she gushes. “You don’t know how much I envy you! People’s destinies are so different. Some people just drag along, unnoticed and boring – they’re all alike, and they’re all unhappy. Then there are others, like for instance you – you’re one in a million! Your life turned out bright, interesting, full of meaning. You’re happy.” To this, Trigorin responds that his life is not all she perceives it to be: “I’m happy? Hmm. You talk about fame, about happiness, about some sort of bright, interesting life, but those are just big words. They don’t mean anything to me . . . It’s a stupid life! Here I am talking to you, I’m all worked up, and still I can’t forget for a minute that I’ve got a story to finish.” There is a clear difference between how these two characters view the idea of fame. Nina, who is not famous, sees celebrity as fulfilling, glamorous, and ideal. Trigorin’s rebuttal of Nina’s claim, however, in an insider’s perspective that offers a less glamorous look at what life in the spotlight is really like. He is obsessive and withdrawn, unable to take his mind off his work; the fame does not satisfy him. Trigorin’s assertion that he no longer even loves his art is lost on Nina, who claims that if she were in his shoes, she would tolerate the negative aspects of fame for the rest. It is clear that being on the inside and being on the outside of experiencing fame leads to very different perceptions of it. The mother and son pair of Arkadina and Konstantin also struggle with fame. Arkadina is

an acclaimed actress in Russia who finds solace and comfort in belittling the lifestyles of those around her in the small town where The Seagull takes place. “Oh, what could be more boring than this divine country boredom,” she laments. “It’s hot, it’s quiet, nobody does a thing, we all just sit around and talk… You know, my dears, I do love it here, but if I were working now – in a room in a hotel somewhere, memorizing my lines for a new play – that would be heaven!” She frequently takes a judgmental, condescending tone towards her playwright son, Konstantin, and because Arkadina knows he longs for the acknowledgment and affirmation that she has achieved as an artist, flaunts her fame in front of him to make her feel better about herself. During the performance of Konstantin’s play in Act I, she pays little attention and patronizingly mocks her son’s work. In the final act of The Seagull, Arkadina admits that she has never actually read her son’s writing, offering the poor excuse that there is “just never enough time.” Konstantin, who desperately seeks the approval of those around him, takes his mother’s dismissal of him as a real artist to heart. In Act I, a visibly tense Konstantin is talking to his uncle – Sorin – before his new play is scheduled to premiere in front of the town. Anticipating that his mother will disapprove of his work, he insults her, dismissing her kind of theatre as tired, restrictive, and easy. In the middle of trying to convince Sorin that his new form of theatre is more valuable than his mother’s, Konstantin suddenly exhibits a bout of insecurity, confiding: Oh Uncle…it’s awful! She has all these famous people at her parties, writers and actors, and I’m the only one there who isn’t famous, and they only tolerate me because I’m her son. And who am I? I left the university after my third year, I’m not talented, I haven’t got a cent to my name, my birth certificate says I’m from Kiev and I was “born in to the middle class.” Why? Because my father was from Kiev and he was “born in the middle class; he just happened to be a famous actor! So there I am with all those actors and writers, and finally

someone is kind enough to talk to me, but I know they think I’m a nobody, and I just want to die! Although Konstantin deals with his insecurities by insulting his mother, the feelings of inadequacy that stem from his lack of fame only lower his self-esteem. Although Konstantin’s speeches about a “new kind of theatre” give the impression that he is confident that his art is more substantive and worthy than his mother’s popular theatre, he is still desperate for the approval of a wider audience than he has access to. Just as with Nina and Trigorin, there is a divide between Arkadina and Konstantin caused by their relationships with fame. Arkadina insults Konstantin to justify her life choices – ones that others, even those

who look up to her, might be critical of; as Nina’s family demonstrates, acting was not considered a noble profession during this period. Arkadina’s shaky relationship with Trigorin and her constant belittling of Konstantin and her family’s small town reveal that despite her glamorous lifestyle, she is full of feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. Meanwhile, despite the support, praise, and encouragement of his artistic ambitions that Konstantin receives from his community, he does not feel fulfilled. He continuously longs for more, both in regard to and outside of his art. His longing obsesses him so much that he is oblivious to Dorn’s and Sorin’s words of encouragement and ignorant of Masha’s feelings for him. Even with Nina, Konstantin’s fear that she doesn’t take him seriously leads him to lost trust in her, just as this leads her to lose her trust in him. It seems that despite his insistence that art favored by the masses not “real art,” it is actually the mass approval that comes with fame for which he longs.

The Wounded Angel, (Finnish: Haavoittunut enkeli), 1903, by Finnish symbolist painter Hugo Simberg, reminiscent of Konstantin’s play in The Seagull.

QUESTIONS Today’s obsession with fame is a cross cultural phenomenon that some say began with the worship of Greek gods. Greek citizens believed that the gods had a direct impact on their lives and closely followed the stories of the gods’ personal lives. Myths are an outgrowth of this obsession. Ancient Greek mythology, the iconography of saints in the Middle Ages (5th-15th centuries), and the popularization of artists during the Renaissance (14th-17th centuries) are early examples of celebrity culture. 1. Why does Nina admire Trigorin and Arkadina so much? Although Konstatin is critical of his mother and Trigorin, what does his own desire for notoriety say about his true feelings about them? 2. Chekhov’s The Seagull depicts lives both impacted by and free from fame and celebrity. Compare and contrast the words and actions of those who are celebrity insiders (such as Arkadina and Trigorin) with the words and actions of those who are on the outside (such as Nina and Konstantin). How do these characters treat each other? What do they seem to want? How do they work toward their goals? Would they behave differently if their roles were reversed? 3. What examples of celebrity worship exist in our culture today? What is it about the idea of a celebrity that is so powerful? Why do people become obsessed with someone who they admire? What does this add to their lives? 4. How do you think celebrity culture has changed with the rise of social media? Do you think people feel more fulfilled now that they can access more information about the celebrities they admire? How does the impression that the information is coming directly from celebrities themselves (via Twitter, for example) impact a fan’s opinion of fame? 5. Do you believe that the ideal of fame exists only for those on the outside? Why or why not?

Existentialism Many of the characters in The Seagull are grappling with the meaning of life – questioning their very existence and the purpose of their lives. This mode of thinking, born in the late 19th century, is called existentialism. Existentialism questioned the meaning of life, and brought importance to the self and the individual. Danish philosopher Søren Aabye Kierkegaard is widely considered to be the father of existentialism, though he never actually used the term (it would later be coined by Jean-Paul Sartre in the 20th century). One of Kierkegaard’s major philosophical accomplishments is his writing on the influence of the self. Kierkegaard stated that the individual, rather than religion or society, gave meaning to life. He felt that the self’s relation to the world was rooted in introspection, or self-reflection, as opposed to the larger society and its influences. In his 1846 essay Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, he stated that “subjectivity is truth” and “truth is subjectivity,” an opinion that stems from the notion that an individual’s opinions are derived from their own personal truth. Kierkegaard’s early existentialism influenced Chekhov as he wrote The Seagull. The concept of existentialism is first seen through the character of Masha at the beginning of Act I, when she declares that she is “in mourning for [her] life,” a sentiment that sets the tone for the play. Masha, like many of the play’s other characters, feels that her life is meaningless without something unnamed that it currently lacks. In her case, she doesn’t see the point of living without Konstantin’s love. She explains to Medvedenko that although she has money and his love, they are not enough. Sorin also spends the majority of his time questioning the meaning and purpose of his life, and recalling a time when he had dreams and ambitions. In Act I, he tells Konstantin, “There was a time, all I ever wanted was two things: get married and be a writer. And I never did either one.” Instead, Sorin spent the majority of his life A drawing of Kierkegaard working in an office. He feels that things “just happened” to him, but he never made happen what he truly wanted—and therefore feels unfulfilled. Sorin’s failing health adds another layer of complexity to his questions about the purpose of his life. In Act II, as he and Dorn discuss the quality of their lives, Sorin remarks that Dorn has “lived an interesting life. Me? I worked for 28 years in a government office, and I haven’t had a life, I haven’t experienced it or anything. And I want to – you understand what I mean? You’ve been everywhere, done everything; it’s easy for you to be philosophical: you don’t care anymore. But I want to live! Which is why I drink sherry after dinner and smoke cigars. And everything. That’s why.” Sorin augments his own personal failure by smoking and drinking, two habits he knows are bad for his health. In the face of illness and nearing life’s end, Sorin enjoys these small risks and pleasures to combat the decades of lack of excitement.

QUESTIONS An important aspect of existentialism is individualism, the notion that every person exists in their own unique way. The philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, who first coined the term “existentialism,” claimed that all existentialist philosophers shared a belief in the idea that “existence precedes essence.” This means that the most important aspect of a person is that they are an independent, consciously acting individual, which is more important than the part of their self that is externally shaped by stereotypes, the society they live in, or roles they must play in their lives. 1. Which characters in The Seagull feel that they don’t have enough ownership of themselves as individuals? 2. Some of the characters focus on needing another person to be happy, while others, even if they are still pining for another person, put lots of stake in their own individuality. What do characters like Masha and Sorin feel is missing from their lives? What do they need to be happy? 3. Is who you are based on how you see yourself, or on how others see you? Do you exhibit different dimensions of your personality depending on who you’re with? What is necessary for you to be happy in life?

Cumulus, 1973, by Herman Gvardjančič

Imagery & Symbolism Writers use a variety of literary devices to convey themes, meanings, and connections in their work. The Seagull is particularly known for its extensive use of symbolism – employing an idea, object, or person to represent a different, often larger or more abstract, idea or concept. When a symbol is used in literature, it is often repeated, referenced, or alluded to repeatedly to help the reader – or in the case of The Seagull, the viewer – to recognize subtle or hidden meanings in the story. The image of a seagull is first introduced in Act I. Within Nina’s first few lines, as she is expressing her frustration with her parents disapproving nature, she compares herself to the bird: “But it’s the lake that attracts me, as if I were a seagull…My heart’s overflowing with you,” she says. Its next use of the symbol is in Act II, when Konstantin walks onstage to deliver a dead seagull to Nina. Konstantin’s attitude toward Nina is disdainful, and she accuses him of only being able to talk in symbols. They confess that they cannot recognize each other anymore. Konstantin complains that he has failed in his attempts to become a successful writer and presumptuously accuses Nina of thinking he is mediocre, as if it is the reason she isn’t returning his affection. At the end of Act II, Trigorin notices the dead seagull and comments that it is a beautiful bird. He then begins writing; when Nina asks what he’s writing about, he says that it is “an idea for a short story. The shore of a lake, and a young girl who’s spent her whole life beside it, a girl like you . . . She loves the lake the way a seagull does, and she’s happy and free as a seagull. Then a man comes along, sees her, and ruins her life because he has nothing better to do. Destroys her like this seagull here.”

In the final act, the seagull appears again. Konstantin tells Dorn that Nina has been signing all of her letters, “The Seagull.” Nina then mentions the seagull again in reference to herself, as she did in the first act. In a daze, back in her hometown after being disowned by her parents and disillusioned by what the life of an actor is really like rather than as she imagined it, she says to Konstantin: “I just want to rest! I’m the seagull…No, that’s not it. I’m an actress. That’s it.” As she tries to recall how her life is as an actress, she makes the final connection between herself and the bird. Nina becomes lost, repeating Trigorin’s story from ACT II. For Nina, the symbol of the seagull first symbolizes hope – and then hope destroyed – by her discovered disillusionment with the world of theatre and hope destroyed by the two men she trusted. Konstantin’s and Trigorin’s handling of the literal seagull mirrors their treatment of Nina as an object they would like to control. The seagull symbolizes hope not just for Nina, but the other characters in the play. They feel a lack of control over their own lives and futures, and see Nina as a physical manifestation of hope either realized or destroyed. To be able to affect or control Nina gives both Trigorin and Konstantin a sense of control over their own lives.

QUESTIONS 1. From the first moment she appears in the play, Nina is fascinated with the idea of a seagull. What in her own life might cause her to feel this way? When in the play does the symbol of a seagull switch from meaning hope realized to hope that is destroyed? 2. At the time that The Seagull takes place, women in Russia were not allowed the same rights and privileges as men. Their lives were much more limited. As a young woman, Nina feels restrained by many facets of her life. Her parents disapprove of her passion which makes her feel lonely in her pursuit of a life on stage, and they disown her after she follows her dreams. How does this imbalance of rights affect the male and female characters in the play, and how they relate to each other? Can you think of another time in history that you have studied in which the inequality between people of different genders affected society? 3. Why is Nina the most hopeful character in the play? 4. Some Native American tribal cultures include belief in spirit animals, an animal closely connected to a person through traits and skills. Do you feel connected to a particular animal? If so, what personality traits, likes, and dislikes do you share? What personal experiences have you had with this animal that made you feel that it symbolizes you?

MASTERY ASSESSMENT ACT I

ACT II

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Why is Nina nervous about performing in Konstantin’s play? What were Sorin’s dreams when he was young? With whom is Konstantin in love? What is Dorn’s profession? From what play does Arkadina quote to Konstantin, which he quotes from as well? What happens during the performance of Konstantin’s play? What is Trigorin’s profession? Which character tells Konstantin that he is talented and should keep on writing? With whom is Masha in love? What important environmental landmark in the town is often referred to? What in the town does Dorn blame for everyone being in love?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

What advice does Arkadina give to Masha about feeling positive about herself? Which activities does Sorin engage in after dinner to make himself feel happier? What does Nina give to Dorn that makes Paulina jealous? What does Konstantin bring to Nina? What main topic do Nina and Trigorin discuss? What does Arkadina decide to do at the end of Act II?

ACT III

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

ACT IV

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Where does Act III take place? Who is in love with Masha? What action offstage does Konstantin take that becomes a topic of discussion between Arkadina and Sorin? What does Sorin tell Arkadina is the cause of Konstantin’s unhappiness? Who does Konstantin blame for coming between him in his relationship with his mother? Where does Nina decide to go at the end of Act III?

How many years have passed between Acts III and IV? What has changed in Masha and Medvedenko’s lives? What has changed with Sorin’s health? What is the title of the story Sorin wants Konstantin to write? What has Nina’s life been like since leaving her hometown? How does Nina sign her letters to Konstantin? What game is being played at the table? What is Konstantin doing instead of playing the game? Who returns and talks with Konstantin? What does Nina conclude is the most important thing in life? What happens to Konstantin at the end of the play?

FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION Characters in The Seagull

• Irina Nikolayevna Arkadina Konstantin’s mother, an actress, mostly referred to as Arkadina • Konstantin Gavrilovich Treplev Twenty-something year old writer, Arkadina’s son, mostly referred to as Konstantin or Kostya • Pyotr Nikolayevich Sorin Arkadina’s brother, Konstantin’s uncle, farm owner, mostly referred to as Sorin • Nina Mikhailovna Zarechnaya Nineteen year old aspiring actress, daughter of a wealthy neighbor, referred to as Nina • Ilya Afanasyevich Shamrayev Retired army lieutenant who manages Sorin’s farm, mostly referred to as Shamrayev • Paulina Andreyevna Shamrayev’s wife, referred to as Paulina • Masha Paulina and Shamrayev’s daughter, around Nina’s age • Boris Alexeyevich Trigorin A famous writer, Arkadina’s companion, mostly referred to as Trigorin • Yevgeny Sergeyevich Dorn The local doctor, referred to as Dorn • Semyon Semyonovich Medvedenko A schoolteacher, mostly referred to as Medvedenko • Yakov The hired man • The Cook • The Maid

Performing Families

Kate Burton with son, Morgan Ritchie

Arkadina and Konstantin, two of the central characters in The Seagull, are connected through both familial and artistic bonds. Though their theatrical ambitions inspired them to take on different creative roles (Arkadina is an actress while Konstantin is a playwright), their love and devotion to theatre unites them. Families comprised of theatre artists are a longstanding tradition. In the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of The Seagull, the actors playing Arkadina and Konstantin are not only a real mother and son pair, but are also part of a legacy of acclaimed theatre performers. Kate Burton, who plays Arkadina, has been a prominent stage and film actress for over thirty years. She grew up surrounded by artists – her father was actor Richard Burton, her mother was producer Sybil Burton, and her stepmother was Elizabeth Taylor. Kate Burton didn’t initially attend school for drama, instead pursuing it recreationally while an undergraduate at Brown University, but later chose to join the family business when she enrolled in the Yale School of Drama’s graduate acting program. Kate Burton’s son, Morgan Ritchie, has spent his entire life surrounded by performers. In addition to the lineage from his mother, his father, Michael Ritchie, is a well-known director and producer. In a 2007 interview with the Brown Daily Herald student newspaper (Ritchie chose to follow in his mother’s footsteps by attending her alma mater), Ritchie reported that his mother “made a concerted effort . . . not to dissuade me from doing theatre, but not to surround me with theatre all the time.” When he first told his mother at the age of 14 that he wanted to be an actor, she was not pleased. “We stayed up literally almost all night arguing about it,” Ritchie recalled. In an interview with the Boston Globe in 2009, Burton agreed that initially she had discouraged her son from entering the profession. The turning point, they each reported in their respective interviews, was when Ritchie appeared in a production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle at age 17. Burton remembers her reaction – “I said, ‘Well, that’s it!’ And at the age of 20 he is more innately gifted than my father, Richard Burton – certainly than I was – at that age.”’

Kate & Morgan performing in The Corn is Green

Even before this turning point, however, Burton and Ritchie acted together in various films and plays. The first time they played opposite one another was at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2007 in The Corn is Green by Emlyn Williams. The production, which would be remounted at the Huntington Theatre Company in 2009, marked the first time this mother and son pair had to develop a relationship onstage. When asked in his Brown Daily Herald interview about how it felt to work so closely with his mother and with director Nicholas Martin, a longstanding collaborator with Burton and a close family friend, he said: “In some ways it makes me more nervous. I really want to do well in front of my mom and Uncle Nicky . . . On the other hand, it’s so comfortable to walk into rehearsal and see your mom and Uncle Nicky, I can’t wait.”

Acting Runs in the Family • Josephine Baker (1906 - 1975) and Son Jean-Claude Baker (b. 1944): Josephine Baker was an American-born French singer, dancer, and actress. She adopted Jean-Claude Baker, a Paris bellhop, in 1958 when he was 14. He also pursued a multi-faceted career in entertainment similar to his mother’s, ranging from music to modeling to owning his own nightclub. • Judy Garland (1922 - 1969) and Liza Minnelli (b. 1946): Judy Garland was an actress and singer, best known for her performance as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Fred Astaire once described her as “the greatest entertainer who ever lived.” Her daughter, Liza Minnelli (with stage and film director Vincent Minnelli), became a very famous performer as well, making her name on stage and in film as an actor and singer and winning four Tony Awards, an Oscar and a “Legends” Grammy Award. • The Barrymores: Several members of this family have made names for themselves as actors in theatre and film, including (pictured right, from top to bottom): • Ethel Barrymore (1879-1959) • John Barrymore (1882-1942) • Drew Barrymore (b. 1975) • Jane Brockman and Jonathan Shew: This mother-son pair of actors is currently performing in the national tour of the musical, Wicked. Brockman plays Midwife and understudies Madame Morrible. Shew is in the ensemble and understudies Fiyero. Brockman said in regards to playing opposite her son, “It was exciting and fun, but mostly just a huge treat to experience working with my son on this level and experiencing him as a terrific performer.”

QUESTIONS 1. In an interview with TotalTheater.com, Kate Burton discussed her artistic relationship with her father, the famous actor Richard Burton. She said that she and her father never worked together in theatre, only in film, and that her father’s mentorship was concentrated on film work. She recalled: “I didn’t need help with theatre, I really didn’t. I had a good strong feeling about theatre. I had great training and had worked with extraordinary actors. From day one . . . what dad really helped me with was putting me in front of the camera. He helped me with that. When we were doing the miniseries [Ellis Island, 1984] in England, he helped me to modulate. That’s the hardest thing — to go from a theater education to learn to work in film. It’s a big jump.” Considering Kate Burton’s past artistic relationship with her father, in which she only wanted to work with him when she felt like she needed his help, what do you think might have changed in order for her to want to work with her own son on stage, years later?

Actor Richard Burton

2. In The Seagull, Arkadina is dismissive of Konstantin’s artistic pursuits. She laughs at the premiere of his play and condescendingly tells their friends and family it doesn’t make sense. By the end of the play, she admits that she has never even bothered to read Konstantin’s work because “there’s just never enough time.” Meanwhile, Konstantin undermines his mother’s work, dismissing it as “easy” and shallow. • What true feelings/fears about Konstantin’s work might Arkadina hold but be too afraid to articulate? Does she really not respect his work? What do you believe is Arkadina’s motivation for not supporting her son’s work? • How is this mother-son relationship depicted in The Seagull different from Kate Burton and Morgan Ritchie’s relationship as theatre artists? • Starting with the families listed on the previous page, research the history of U.S. and European performing families. Compare and contrast the relationships between real-life performing family members to Arkadina and Konstantin’s. • Is there a particular field or profession that runs in your family? If so, do you have any interest in following in your family members’ footsteps? Why or why not?

Chekhov, Stanislavsky & The Moscow Art Theatre Konstantin Sergeyevich Alexeyev, who later would change his last name to Stanislavsky, was born in Moscow in 1863 to one of the wealthiest families in Russia. Growing up, he was exposed to the arts through attending the ballet and the circus. In 1877, his father was elected the head of Moscow’s merchant class, which led to a theatre being constructed on the family’s estate. Thus began Stanislavsky’s committed theatrical pursuits. He began by writing critiques and analysis in his notebook, from which his own acting technique would later be born. Although Stanislavsky grew up in a culture that valued the arts, it was never something his family and the rest of his wealthy community expected him to pursue as a career. In Russia in the late 19th century, professional acting was reserved for the lower classes. As a result, Stanislavsky eventually changed his name from Alexeyev to hide his theatrical career from his family. He also practiced disguising himself as other people, such as gypsies, in order to improve his acting and characterization skills while hiding his passion from his family. Inspired by productions he saw at the Maly Theatre, the home of psychological realism at the time, Stanislavsky made study of that performance style his main focus. Alexander Pushkin, the famous Russian poet who helped to develop this style in the theatre, stated in 1823 that what connected great classical authors such as Shakespeare, Calderon, and Corneille was their shared pursuit for portraying the truth of a character and their situation, so that their behavior could be comprehensively understood. Stanislavsky committed himself to in-depth study of these concepts, and as he gained renown as an actor, he applied the principles to leading roles in plays by Shakespeare, Moliere, and Pushkin, among others. The Moscow Art Theatre, 1902

In June of 1897, Stanislavsky engaged in an 18-hour meeting with playwright Vladimir Nimirovich-Danchenko, who also played an essential role in Chekhov’s life. The result of this historic meeting was the founding of the Moscow Art Theatre. This theatre would become an artistic home to both Stanslavski’s approach to realistic acting and to the premieres of Chekhov’s greatest works. Stanislavsky’s method of acting made significant contributions to the performance of Chekhov’s plays. The subtlety in Chekhov’s language lent itself to Stanislavsky’s techniques, which required actors to employ back story and emotional memory in their performances.

An Uneasy Partnership: Chekhov & the Moscow Art Theatre (Excerpted, by Wendy Weckworth) The first season of the Moscow Art Theatre (MAT) opened in 1898 with a production of Tolstoy’s historical drama, Tsar Fyodor that paid careful attention to historical detail in its portrayal of 16th century Russia. Sophocles’ Antigone and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice followed. The fledgling company was teetering toward collapse when it produced a revival of Chekhov’s play The Seagull, which was an unequivocal failure upon its premiere in St. Petersburg two years earlier. In

the hands of Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, however, it was a monumental success, and marked the beginning of a fruitful relationship between Chekhov and the company that lasted until the writer’s early death in 1904. This collaboration – between a company so focused on developing a life-like “natural” style, and the playwright whose plays demanded a new level of psychological subtlety – proved mutually beneficial. The MAT adopted a seagull as its emblem, and became known as the “House of Chekhov.” It went on to produce his final three full-length plays: Uncle Vanya (1897), Three Sisters (1901), and The Cherry Orchard (1904). The relationship had its problems, however. Chekhov objected to Stanislavsky’s misreading of his plays – Stanislavsky found and emphasized tragedy where Chekhov believed he had created comedy. He wrote: “You tell me that people cry at my plays . . . But that is not why I wrote them. It is [Stanislavsky] who made my characters into cry-babies. All I wanted was to say truthfully to the people: ‘Have a look at yourselves and see how bad and dreary your lives are!’ The most important point is that people should realize that when they do, they will most certainly create another, a better, life for themselves . . . What is there to cry about?” Chekhov’s ironic sensibility . . . disrupts the traditional boundary between comedy and tragedy. That disruption has been a central concern for many playwrights since Chekhov; it might even be argued that the tragicomic absurdity presaged in Chekhov’s plays reaches its peak in the plays of Samuel Beckett. “The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops. The same is true of the laugh,” Beckett writes in Waiting for Godot. This, among many other things, Chekhov understood.

Stanislavsky’s Method Stanislavsky’s “Method,” as it would come to be known, was a series of techniques to teach actors how to make their performances as believable as possible. In method acting, the actor is taught to find the “believable truth” in every character, by developing the technique of “emotional memory.” For example, if an actor is playing a character who is feeling guilty about something, it is the actor’s job to remember a time in their own life when they felt guilty, and apply that emotional memory to their character. The hope is that the character will seem more realistic because the actor based the performance on something they had actually felt in their own past. Additionally, Stanislavki’s method also requires actors to analyze their characters’ motivations and objectives. • Motivation: What drives a character to do what they do? Stanislavsky believed that the past actions of a character are directly related to their physical actions in script. It is the actor’s job to figure out what happened in the character’s past through clues written into the script and by using their imaginations to fill in what the playwright did not provide. • Objective: What does the character want in this moment? A character’s objective is specific and can change from scene to scene. • Super Objective: What does the character want in the entire play? A character’s super objective is a larger goal to which the scene by scene objectives contribute.

QUESTIONS Although Chekhov and Stanislavsky contributed to each other’s success both in their lifetimes and long after, their relationship was characterized by tension and strain. Stanislavsky’s techniques added layers to Chekhov’s writing, which audiences appreciated but Chekhov did not. Chekhov felt that Stanislavsky added too many realistic details, which added unnecessary weight to moments that he intended to be simpler and lighter. Stanislavsky, meanwhile, criticized Chekhov’s writing and grew frustrated with the playwright’s unwillingness to expand on his simple text. 1. How were Chekhov and Stanislavsky different in their upbringings and introductions to the arts? How were they similar? What formative experiences contributed to their beliefs and opinions about theatre? 2. Why do you think so many actors find Stanislavsky’s method of finding the “truth” about a character so valuable? What can a person’s past life tell us about their present?

Original company of the Moscow Art Theatre, 1899

For Further Reading: Major Works by Anton Chekhov Plays: Ivanov, 1887 Uncle Vanya, 1897 Three Sisters, 1901 The Cherry Orchard, 1904

Short Stories: “A Living Chattel,” 1882 “The Grasshopper,” 1892 “About Love,” 1898 “The Lady with the Dog,” 1899 “In the Ravine,” 1900 “The Bishop,” 1902 “Betrothed [The Fiancée],” 1903

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES Creative Writing 1 The Seagull is about a community comprised of people who have stayed there for their entire lives, some who are desperate to leave it, and others who enter and exit it as they please. The story chronicles this community over a period of time, reflecting how it grows and changes through the experiences of its inhabitants. • Part 1: Think of a community which you are part of, and consider the “characters” that populate it. Write a story about or a dialogue between several distinctive characters in your community. Pay close attention to their unique personality traits – the way they speak, the kinds of stories they tell, and their physical appearances. • For an optional Part 2, see Acting 1, below

Creative Writing 2 The characters in The Seagull all seem to be longing for something in their lives that they either don’t have or that they have and are afraid they might lose. Pick a character from the play and write a monologue from their perspective about their own personal pursuit of happiness. What motivates them to want what they do? What obstacles are in their way? How does this journey impact how they see the world and the people around them? Feel free to imagine details from their past that are not included in the script but that are consistent with what the playwright includes about the character in the script.

Acting 1 For those who have chosen to write a scene for Creative Writing 1, have students act out these scenes with one another. Again, pay close attention to specific character choices.

Acting 2: Scene Study and Character Analysis Have students choose scenes from the play with great dramatic tension to direct, act out or read. Part I: Begin preparations to perform the scene by completing the following questions: • What are the given circumstances (5 W’s) of this scene? • What is the scene’s primary conflict? • Objectives: What does my character want in this scene? What does my character want in the play overall? • Tactics: What is my character doing to get what he or she wants? • Obstacles: What or who is standing in the way of my character’s efforts to achieve his or her objective? • Stakes: What is at risk for my character? What is the best thing that could happen if my character achieves his or her objective? What is the worst thing that could happen if he or she fails?

• What adjectives describe my character’s personality? Are there any contradictions? • What statements does my character make about him or herself? What do others say about my character? • Describe the status of each character in the scene. Does anyone have power over someone else? Part II: Create a biographical sketch of your character by answering the following in first person from the character’s perspective: • Full name and date of birth. • Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? • Do you have any siblings? • Describe your relationship with your parents. • How did your childhood influence who you are today? • When you were young, what were your dreams and aspirations? Have these dreams changed over time? If so, how and why? • Do you have any secrets? If so, what are they? • What is your best quality? What is your worst quality? • Describe your sense of humor. • Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they? Why do you enjoy them? • List your favorites: Food, color, music, season. Part III: Put the scene on its feet. How can you use stage pictures to communicate the story of the scene? Consider: • Composition of the onstage images. • The rhythms of the actors’ movement around the stage. • The pacing of the dialogue. • How the actors’ body language and vocal expression reflects the information examined in Parts I and II. Suggested Scenes: • Konstantin talks with Sorin about their longings (Act I) • Nina talks with Trigorin (Act II) • Arkadina and Sorin talk about Konstantin (Act III) • Arkadina and Konstantin argue (Act III) • Arkadina begs Trigorin not to leave her (Act III) • Nina and Konstantin’s final conversation (Act IV)

Visual Art and Creative Writing: The Realist Movement In the mid-to-late 19th century, the movement to create realistic art included forms beyond the stage. Realist painters used ordinary people, from laborers to traveling passengers to butchers, to depict what life was actually like for the average person. The subjects of Realist paintings were common, ordinary situations, like a day in a butcher shop, or women sewing lace or laundering clothing. This movement was a response to Romanticism and History Painting, both of which depicted a more fantastical, unrealistic portrayal of life. Even if these paintings were based on real events, they were not realistic in style.

Research a Realist painter and select one of the artist’s works (examples of Realist painters include Jean-Baptiste Greuze, William Bell Scott, Gustave Courbet, and Jules Breton). After examining the painting carefully, write your own stories about what is depicted in the painting, either from the perspective of a character in the painting or an outsider’s view of the scene the painting depicts.

Visual Art: Symbolism The two central symbolic images in The Seagull are a lake (representing memory, nostalgia, and longing) and a seagull (representing hope felt and destroyed). Choose a character and consider the ways in which one of these symbols connects to the character’s journey in The Seagull. Select and analyze a scene in which this connection is particularly strong. Informed by this analysis, create a symbolic visual artwork, such as a painting, collage, or drawing, that depicts the character’s relationship to the symbol you choose. Be sure to include at least one quote from The Seagull in your piece of artwork that helps illustrate the relationship between the character and the symbol.

The Seagull, surrealist collage by Dan Pecci, 2013

REFERENCES & RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER READING Bio • http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/chekhovbio.html#PersonalInformation • http://www.gutenberg.org/files/6408/6408-h/6408-h.htm\ • Spotlight: Spring 2013-2014, The Huntington Theatre Company • Dear writer—dear actress—: the love letters of Olga Knipper and Anton Chekhov

Fame • http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/010celeb.html

Existentialism • Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments • http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=3520132 (pages 19-37) • http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4544850?uid=3739696&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&s id=21103257455957 • http://www.anselm.edu/homepage/dbanach/sartreol.htm

Performing Families • http://www.totaltheater.com/?q=node/5422 • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/galtime/10-famous-motherchild-duo_b_2964713.html • https://secure.pqarchiver.com/boston-sub/doc/405150629.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=&type=current&date=J an%209,%202009&author=&pub=&edition=&startpage=&desc= • http://www.browndailyherald.com/2007/09/24/ritchie-10-enters-family-trade-with-major-acting-debut/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Burton_%28actress%29 • http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/14/entertainment/la-et-cm-kate-burton-sybil-christopher-20130313 • http://www.tv.com/people/kate-burton/ • http://www.playbill.com/features/article/185727-Mother-and-Son-Actors-Share-the-Stage-WithLeading-Roles-in-Wicked?tsrc=hpf • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/galtime/10-famous-motherchild-duo_b_2964713.html

Stanislavsky • Stanislavsky: An Introduction, Benedetti, Jean. 1999 • The Stanislavski System: The Professional Training of an Actor, Moore, Sonia. 1960 • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/stanislavsky_c.html • http://www.quotidiantheatre.org/chekhov.htm