Ivanov

I can unequivocally and unabashedly say that I loved the performance of Ivanov that our class attended at the Classical Stage Company. I found it enticing, illuminating and fairly true to the story itself which enabled me to appreciate how this play can come alive when actually performed. This appreciation began with the intimate and welcoming atmosphere provided by the venue. At a glance, this theater seems to be just a simple café with a fairly pleasant and mellow atmosphere. However, when one proceeds inside and realizes the beauty possessed within this quaint theater, one is astounded by how unassuming the street-view is. Moreover, the fact that the performance took place in a venue that is as small as this was—seating roughly two hundred audience members—allowed our class not only to have excellent seats but also to feel almost involved in the performance based on the fact that we had almost no choice but cross over the stage in order to get to our seats.

Additionally, I believe the overall acting prowess displayed was good enough that while it was not extraordinary, it did not detract from the experience and those actors that excelled overshadowed the few shortcomings of those who were not as successful in my opinion. While it may seem unlikely—based on my expression of enjoyment of the play and the fact that he is an extremely famous actor whose roles in movies I have greatly enjoyed—I did not thoroughly enjoy the acting of Ethan Hawke as Ivanov; while I did enjoy the fact that he began his portrayal much before the performance began by sitting on a bed and reading to set the stage for the play, I found his acting in the majority of the first two acts to be unconvincing and not befitting the complexity of the character of Ivanov. However, by the third and fourth act I felt he had hit his stride and began to reach the levels of emotional expressiveness I felt were warranted.

There were also a few characters who I felt were adequately represented but not extraordinarily so; such characters include: Dmitry, Martha, Dr. Lvova and Sasha to name a few. The portrayals that I believe truly stole the show, however, were that of Borkin and Lebedev (as well as Anna to a somewhat lesser extent). Borkin was as lively and utterly sleazy, effectively causing you to at once detest his lowly actions and soon after envy his energy and vigor. Lebedev was portrayed perfectly as an old man who wishes for no more than peace of mind which is constantly out of his reach, causing you to feel a strong feeling of empathy for his struggles.

Overall, I must say that this production was a complete success not only for the sake of entertainment but also for the sake of representing the economic, racial and in many ways universal struggles present in late 19^th century Russia. I feel that in this aim it stayed true to Chekhov while transitioning exceptionally well into New York City.