Checking out Chekhov

“Checking out Chekhov brings the enigmatic writer to life in a profoundly exciting way. It is a transformative book for any actor or lover of the theatre!” ~Mary Joan Negro, Founding Member of The Acting Company (New York), Tony Award Nominee, and Associate Professor of Theatre Practice, University of Southern California

“Carnicke’s book brilliantly captures the essence of Chekhov. I can’t think of a better introduction to the work of this most elusive of modern writers.” ~Peter McAllister, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London

“Carnicke’s book excels as an overview of the whole phenomenon of Chekhovian drama. It astutely situates his dramaturgy in relevant contexts: from late 19th-century Russian literature, including Chekhov’s own short stories, to contemporary theatrical practices. Its signal achievement is to provide a deeper understanding of Chekhov’s plays, free from the distorting clichés that too often attend them.” ~Thomas Seifrid, Professor, Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Southern California

“In a lively and engaging style Carnicke presents a broad swath of biographical and historical material necessary for a truly informed production of Chekhov on the stage. This is a must-read for scholars, students, and performers.” ~Brian R. Johnson, Assistant Professor of Russian, Swarthmore College

“Writing with sharp insight, Carnicke reveals the often-overlooked clues essential to appreciating and producing successfully the elusive plays of Chekhov. This book is indispensable reading for anyone who wishes to uncover the mysteries of how his plays really work.” ~R. Andrew White, Actor, Director, and Associate Professor, Valparaiso University

“A strong background in Russian language and culture, combined with professional theater experience as an actress and director, prepared Sharon Carnicke not only to translate Chekhov’s plays for performance but also to illuminate the mysteries of his works for theater artists preparing to stage the plays. Certainly it is actors and directors who have the most to gain from this ‘guide to the plays,’ which also serves as an intelligent introductory study for general readers. Carnicke covers the basics—transliteration, how Russian names are used, capsule biography, late nineteenth-century theatrical genres—while offering enough fresh insight into Chekhov’s world and his work to hold the interest of those already familiar with the plays.” ~Felicia Hardison Londré, University of Missouri–Kansas City

Carnicke . . . takes a different kind of look at the plays of the Russian master and the man himself. She presents not simply an analysis of the plays but a discussion of the way they introduced many innovations into the theater. ~Book News, Inc.

“Sharon Marie Carnicke, a professor of Theatre and Slavic Studies at the University of Southern California, who has worked professionally as an actor, director, and dancer, who has written on Stanislavsky’s system and Evreinov’s productions, and who has published a translation of Chekov’s major plays, has now produced a provocative guide to these plays for actors, directors, and readers. Her thesis is simply that to acquire a taste for Chekov, ‘one needs to read him closely, thoughtfully, even creatively’. This she manages to do in her new book.” ~Michael R. Katz (Middlebury College)