PLAYS

This seems pessimistic, and yet Chekhov claimed he was writing comedy.Readers, actors and directors must decide for themselves which way to playthese pieces. They are full of sadness, but a sadness described as the‘darkness of the last hour before the dawn'. Whether tragic or comic,however, they are works of the first importance. The Cherry Orchard hasbeen described as ‘the best play since Shakespeare', Three Sisters as‘the best play in the world'.