Chekhov in Luk Percevalʼs “Mirrors” (Based on an Analysis of the Play 3STRS)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the originality of Luk Percevalʼs stage interpretation of Anton Chekhovʼs play The Three Sisters, to point out links to the poetics of Chekhovʼs work, and to identify some parallels with the traditions of twentieth-century European theatre, especially that of Tadeusz Kantorʼs death theatre and theatre of the absurd. The analysis focuses on the non-traditional title, spatio-temporal characteristics, staging techniques, scenography, and the productionʼs musical design. The methods used include an intersemiotic and comparative approach to the cultural context. The article seeks to demonstrate that Percevalʼs recent reading of Chekhovʼs play is in tune with the contemporary situation and human condition (the absurdity of existence, the impotence of man, loneliness, isolation, and the imminence of a global catastrophe).