Imbued with Chekhov’s humor, the play revolves around the proposal of marriage of a countryside gentleman to a landlord’s daughter, his neighbor. As both sides see the marriage as highly desirable and advantageous, the proposal is likely to go without a hitch. However, the couple are very argumentative, and so is the lady’s father.
Adapted by People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Kakajan Ashirov, the one-act production does not seem long; it is fast paced and fast moving to perfectly suit preferences of present-day theater audiences.
To enliven the plot, Kakajan Ashirov provided an opening scene to introduce the characters to the audience. This gives an original touch: Stepan Stepanovich Chubukov – the landlord walks across the stage in his dressing gown; then suddenly appears his daughter, Natalya Stepanovna, dressed plainly like a peasant woman. She notices a neighbor’s carriage at their house and leaves hurriedly to put on her smart dress.
Unlike Chekhov’s stout character, Ivan Vasilievich Lomov is in good shape. He is a man of uncertain age and eccentric in his behavior. He introduces himself to the audience and hurries to the room, where the host welcomes him warmly. A few minutes later, elegantly dressed Natalya Stepanovna comes out. These seemingly unimportant details reveal the habits of the rural landlords, precisely observed by the producer.
Another scene, the final one, is K. Ashirov’s worthy addition. While Chekhov’s vaudeville ends with the proposal scene, the adaptation closes with a wedding scene. Candles lit in chandeliers and candelabra, smartly-dressed guests dancing a waltz and guests talking on the terrace are the part of a wedding.
Kakajan Ashirov’s prologue and final, closely entwined with Chekhov’s plot, add sparkle to the performance.
Worthy of note are the work done by music director Serdar Ataev, who enriched the dramatic moments of the vaudevillian comedy and the original stage sets designed by Honored Cultural Worker of Turkmenistan Maksat Amangylyjov.
As for the acting, Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Orazgeldy Durdyev’s performance as Stepan Stepanovich really stands out. He masterly transformed himself into his character, having successfully conveyed all Chekhov’s implications. Played by Batyr Charyev, Lomov looks quite phantasmagoric. This gives farcical accents to the production. Young actress Dilshat Melyaeva impressively acted the part of the young lady.
The spectators, who greeted the performance with enthusiastic applause, left the theater in upbeat moods, perhaps thinking that Kakajan Ashirov, who had adapted Chekov’s vaudeville so brilliantly, should proceed with the other...
