The Seagull Review – Chekhov’s Russian Comedy Revisited

The first of Anton Chekhov’s four major plays, THE SEAGULL – written in 1895 and first produced in St. Petersburg in 1896 – was initially very poorly received. Within weeks, however, it soon became a triumphant success. Especially when produced in Moscow in 1898 starring the iconic Stanislavski. Said to say, it took a significant amount of time before Chekhov, witness to the opening night “boos,” finally believed the news. When he conceived the play, Chekhov intended it as a comedy – but Stanislavski interpreted it in a far more tragic way. It was not until 1909 that THE SEAGULL – by then considered a Russian classic – was first translated into English and produced in Scotland. Chekhov’s masterpiece did not reach Broadway until 1936, when it starred the famous duo, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. The Sidney Lumet film of 1968 brought THE SEAGULL a vast new audience. In 2025, the Odyssey Theatre is proud to present the visiting production of THE SEAGULL to modern audiences.

Cece Kelly, Carlos Carasco, Lukas Jann, and James Tupper – Photo by Miguel Perez

The time spans four years in the late nineteenth century, and the place is a bucolic lakeside country estate in Russia. Irina Arkadina (Sasha Alexander), a famed and fading actress, and her lover Trigorin (James Tupper), a popular and prosperous writer, are visiting the country home of Sorin (Joe Hulser), Irina’s retired judge brother. Treplev (Parker Sack), Irina’s young adult son who is trying to find himself, lives at the estate with his uncle. When the troubled young man tries his hand at writing a play, hoping to impress his distant mother, trouble breaks out in spades. Trigorin’s play, a study in abstruse symbolism, stars the young, fresh, and very eager Nina (Cece Kelly), the daughter of the owner of a nearby estate. While Irina laughs at her son’s efforts, the impressionable Nina takes one look at Irina’s boyfriend and falls head over heels in love – unfortunate for Irina’s son, who is himself hopelessly in love with Nina. And all this happens in front of Masha (Brianna Bryan), the estate manager’s daughter, who is utterly in love with Treplev. As an aside, the estate manager’s wife Polina (Carolyn Crotty) is in love with village Dr. Dorn (Will Dixon) – but that’s a story for another day. When the crafty Irina see that middle-aged Trigorin is clearly attracted to the youthful and besotted Nina, she immediately takes steps to separate the two by as many miles as she can manage on such short notice. What happens when the naïve Nina runs away from home to seek an acting career in Moscow (where Trigorin and Irina coincidentally live) will have life-changing consequences for all. What is the significance of the dead seagull in Act I? You’ll have to see the play to appreciate the allegory.

Joe Hulser, Parker Sack, Sasha Alexander, Brianna Bryan, Matthew Hartley, and James Tupper – Photo by Miguel Perez

Skillfully helmed by director/producer Bruce Katzman, THE SEAGULL is a fascinating study of day-to-day life and codes of morality in pre-Soviet Russia. Kudos to the cast, who do a yeoman’s job of bringing Chekhov’s characters to life – with a special nod to Sasha Alexander as a narcissistic, world-weary mom who has learned how to use her body to get her needs met and create the world in her image. As for Chekhov’s comedy? Let’s just say that Russians have learned how to laugh at events that others might consider tragic. Or perhaps the line between comedy and tragedy is thinner than first thought.

James Tupper and Sasha Alexander – Photo by Miguel Perez

Carlo Maghirang’s scenic design is dazzling, and Eva Zapata’s costumes share in creating a slice of Russian life. W. Alejandro Melendez’s lighting and Clare Marie Nemanich’s sound help in creating a piece of Russian life. THE SEAGULL will appeal to Chekhov’s aficionados, as well as to individuals fascinated by the evolution of stage productions over time. As always, Chekhov fashions an entertaining and intriguing segment of Russian life, a true time capsule that has stood the test of time.

Matthew Hartley and Brianna Bryan – Photo by Miguel Perez

THE SEAGULL runs through February 9, 2025, with performances at 8 pm. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. Tickets are $40 (students $20). For information and reservations, call 310-938-9081 or go online.