The Study Of Chekhov’ Plays On Chinese Stage(from 1976 To 2015)

Anton Chekhov’s plays, like The Seagull, Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard and Uncle Vanya, are closer to life than the realism plays before him. His works forged a peak in realism plays. His plays marked the beginning of modern plays, creating a new type of conflict in plays, the conflict between humanity and environment. Three aesthetic features, namely, symbolism, absurdness, and the conventional plot achieved a subtle balance in Chekhov’s plays, reflecting Chekhov’s empathy for the spiritual sufferings of human being.Chekhov’s plays were second most played on stage, only next to Shakespeare’s. Since 1976, many Chinese directors moved Chekhov’s plays to the stage. This dissertation sums up the history of those performances.Using the three aesthetic features as the stick yard, and also factoring in the performance and directing theory, this dissertation reviews on the performances of Chekhov’s plays in China from 1976 to 2015.Jan. The dissertation gives a detailed analysis of the following performances: The Seagull performed by Beijing People’s Art Theatre, The Seagull, The Seagull directed by YANG Shen, Three Sisters? Waiting for Godot directed by LIN Zhaohua. It also delivers a brief review on the following performances:The Cherry Orchard performed by teachers from the Central Academy of Drama, The Cherry Orchard performed in the way of Peking Opera, Uncle Vanya directed by LI Liuyi. These performances reflect an increasingly personalized adoption of the original plays, a transformation from realism to symbolism in stage design, and a change in acting principles.