Class Description
What makes Chekhov the architect of modern theater? What gives his plays their enduring power, and are they tragedies or comedies? Chekhov’s mastery of understatement, irony, and mood over plot makes him an elusive and endlessly rewarding playwright. We will trace his evolution from brilliant one-act farces to the revolutionary major plays that changed theater forever, enriched by biographical, historical, and critical context and scenes from film and stage productions. Drawing on the Russian originals, we will compare two outstanding modern translations and explore what is inevitably lost and gained in the effort to bring Chekhov's language into vigorous, contemporary American English. Please read The Bear and The Celebration before the first meeting.
Julia Kriventsova Denne studied literature at St. Petersburg University, Russia, and teaches Russian literature in the Chicago area.
All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.
What to Expect
Format: Virtual
Class Capacity: 30
Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged
Materials List
Required
- Anton Chekhov, Anton Chekhov’s Selected Plays. W. W. Norton & Company, 2005. ISBN: 9780393924657
- Chekhov, Five Plays. Stanford University Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780804769662
- Instructor-Distributed Materials available on her website (she will send instructions for access)
First Assignment
- Please read The Bear and The Celebration before the first class.
A Brief Syllabus
- Chekhov as a Complex Personality
- The literary context of Russia 1800-1900
- The Moscow Art Theater
- Chekhov’s journey across Siberia
- Chekhov the Doctor
- Chekhov’s Epistolary Legacy
- Realism
- Chekhov’s Popularity
Cost and Registration
8 Sessions, $300 ($270 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($300), Community Supported ($280), and Sponsor ($320).Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
Having trouble signing up? Take a look at our step-by-step guide to registration by clicking here.
RegisterThe views and opinions expressed in this class and/or by the instructor are not necessarily representative of the Newberry. We aim to ensure that in our classes, participants can have respectful disagreement to foster critical thinking. This is a space to challenge and expand our own worldviews to work towards better understanding and appreciating humanity.
Support the Newberry
Your generosity is vital in keeping the library’s programs, exhibitions, and reading rooms free and accessible to everyone.
Make a GiftQuestions?
Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email at adulteducation@newberry.org.
We are in office Tuesday through Thursday, 10 am–6 pm CT.
We are available by email Tuesday through Saturday.