The premiere of the play "Sirin" at the Chekhov House Museum: on the complexity of choice

      At the A.P. Chekhov House-Museum, the premiere of the play "Sirin" took place – a project of the Chekhov Enlightenment Society, directed by Andrei Selivanov, based on Chekhov's story "The Witch," written exactly 140 years ago, yet still relevant today.

      As soon as the lights went out in the hall, the audience was transported to a true otherworld, an otherness. The sparsely furnished church watchman's hut, with only one window, seems to exist outside of time and space. It is here that the finale of a life and domestic drama unfolds, with the main characters being the deacon Savely (Artyom Grigoriev) and his wife Raisa (Olga Korol), along with their random guests – a young postman (Sergey Yakovlev) and a coachman (Evgeny Zhigalenkov).

      There is, of course, no witchcraft in this space, if we set aside the magic of theatrical action. Although it is hard to shake the impression that the howling blizzard outside the windows of Chekhov's "house-cabinet" and the snowstorm on stage are not the work of Raisa, whom her husband calls a devilish chatterbox and witch. But, as in Chekhov's works, in this howl of the blizzard "there was not a call for help, but a longing, a realization that it was already too late, there was no salvation." There is no salvation from the ordinariness of life, from the lack of freedom of choice, from the cold, both natural and internal, and from the natural and understandable desire to dream, to love, and to be loved...

      Director Andrei Selivanov (direct speech):

      "In Chekhov's prose and drama, the theme of unfulfilled relationships, unrequited love is not uncommon. However, his heroes are unable to take action, to change anything in their lives, continuing to live by established customs. They, and we, modern ones, often explain our failures by external circumstances: the wrong environment, lack of means, we complain about fate. Of course, it is easier to label someone close as a witch and a devil than to acknowledge one's own inadequacy and take responsibility for one's fate.

      But, as with Chekhov, "Sirin" leaves the audience not with a directive for the only correct path, not with dogma or a notion of how one should live, but with a choice – the very one that our author always left to the reader. And if the play calls for something, it is only for honesty with oneself, to avoid the irreparable, so that the blizzard in the soul does not sweep away the remnants of humanity, so that internal unfreedom does not ruin a person's life and their ability to feel."

      Rooted in mythology, the representation of feminine allure in Andrei Selivanov's play finds a clear parallel in the image of the Sirin bird, appearing outside the watchman's window and flying over the surrounding forest.

      Head of the Department of the V.I. Dal State Museum of Russian Literature "A.P. Chekhov House-Museum" Ernest Orlov (direct speech):

      "What is remarkable and attractive for the audience in this production is the combination of theatrical and cinematic means: the characters are simultaneously present on stage and on the screen – in the window of the watchman's hut, – and we become witnesses to the dreams and visions of the heroes. This technique may not be new, but in this play, these visualizations serve as a way to reveal Chekhov's subtext, that which is not stated directly but is read between the lines. And for understanding the essence of what is happening, this is very important."

      The climax of the play, when the deacon Savely raises an axe over his own hand, as if trying to sever not flesh but the feeling of shame, – and utters the biblical formula of self-condemnation: "And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you…", while Raisa lays her head on the tracks under a toy train moving across the stage, – marks a point of no return, the result of internal unfreedom, the influence of the prevailing force of circumstances.

      But the choice is made. Everyone remains alive. And life remains the same, unchanged… And the witch's enchantment in the play is certainly not the snowstorm that forced travelers to stay overnight in the watchman's hut, but the habit of enduring, waiting, and blaming everyone and everything for one's own inadequacy, except oneself.

      Producer of the Chekhov Enlightenment Society Andrei Zaruev (direct speech):

      "For us, 'Sirin' is just the beginning of theatrical and cinematic projects, the main goal of which is the popularization of cultural values and traditions, the opportunity to address the essence of Russian literature and culture, rather than the shocking, which has filled both screens and many stages in recent years. The play lasts only 45 minutes, it does not require large spaces and complex techniques, specially equipped theatrical halls, but its emotional impact is great. And this is our task now and in the future – through addressing Russian classics, through creating relevant and emotionally accurate works, to attract a wide audience to the understanding of Russian culture, to the understanding of ourselves."