A Ruckus in the Country

About the play: This adaptation, A Ruckus in the Country, focuses on four of Anton Chekhov’s comical short plays. The unifying factor is derived from the lecture that comprises the short play from which this adaptation takes its title. The conceit of a simple, rural man being forced by his wife to give a lecture at a local assembly serves as the spine of action. This reluctant orator’s ramblings stray off topic into gossip about those in his community. The resulting dramatizations poke fun at such human foibles as prejudice, misogyny, arrogance, stubbornness and pride. All of which are hilariously provided within the classical comic devices of misunderstanding, exaggeration and the battle of the sexes.

About the Playwright: Anton Chekhov is one of the “Father’s of Modern Drama.” He is, however, an equally respected short story writer. From his experiences as a practicing country doctor, Chekhov’s short sketches provided some of the keenest observations about the absurd shortcomings of human beings with a comedy that is both pathetic and compassionate. Among his masterpieces of the stage, The Seagull, The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya and The Three Sisters are monumental is the progress of the art of theatre.