three sisters
dramaturgy
English
footnotes
This page contains more details on the English language footnotes in the script:
CHEBUTYKIN. ...I read about this guy, Yuval Noah Harari. He's important, apparently, but all I know is his name. I have no clue what he actually wrote.
An Israeli author (1976-present) who wrote Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. Harari's books examine human nature over a long period of time, charting historical trends to explain the present (the subject of Sapiens) or predict the future (the subject of Homo Deus). He focuses on the flow of power and confronts the notion that stories are only told about the winners or that, throughout history, the ends have objectively justified the means. He's been promoted by contemporary elite, like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Barack Obama because he believes that liberalism is the best that we can strive for.
MASHA. Lilac wine is sweet and heady...
From the song Lilac Wine written by James Shelton and performed by Jeff Buckley (1994)
SOLYONY. Nothing. "What man dare, I dare. Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear."
From Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act 3 Scene 4
In this scene, Macbeth is at the table with Lady Macbeth and the other nobles when the ghost of Banquo comes in and Macbeth is horrified at the ghost's presence. In this monologue, he says that he is brave and invites the ghost to attack him. The whole monologue is: "What man dare, I dare / Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear / The armed rhinoceros, o th' Hyrcan tiger; / Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves / Shall never tremble. Or be alive again. / And dare me to the desert with thy sword. / If trembling I inhabit then, protest me / The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow! / Unreal mockery, hence!"
OLGA. (Covers her face with her hands) A samovar! That's what husbands give wives! Ivan Romanich, it's way too much.
A heated metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water. Often associated with tea
Example pictured below, to the left.
CHEBUTYKIN. (Goes up behind Andrey and hugs him round the waist with both arms) "All you need is love!" (Sings the bass part) (Roars with laughter, then sits down and reads a newspaper, which he takes out of his pocket.)
From the song All You Need is Love by the Beatles (1967)
CHEBUTYKIN. (In the style of Pat Benatar) "We live for love!" (Air guitar) (Laughs)
From the song We Live for Love by Pat Benatar (1979)
VERSHININ. I don't know. I want some tea. "My kingdom for a cup of tea!" I havene't had anything since this morning.
From Shakespeare's Richard III, Act 5 Scene 4
The original line is "My kingdom for a horse!" In the middle of a battle, Richard's horse is killed and he spends hours wandering to find it, killing everything around him in a fatalistic rage. This line is often used ironically, when someone needs something seemingly insignificant to complete an important task.
MASHA. "To live in this world is boring!" - Nikolai Gogol.
Gogol (1809-1852) is a Ukrainian/Russian author known for his impressionistic style and confrontation of romanticism with realism. The quotation comes from "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich," a story that begins as a merry farce and ends with the line "To live in this world is boring!"
SOLYONY. "People are strange when you're a stranger!" "Be not angry, Aleko!"
From the song People are Strange by The Doors (1967)
SOLYONY. "People are strange when you're a stranger!" "Be not angry, Aleko!"
From the epic poem "The Gypsies" by Alexander Pushkin
The poem discusses the idea of the noble savage, or that getting closer to nature and further from [Westernized] civilization lived a more pure and fulfilling life than the alienated, unhappy people in European cities. Aleko's failure to integrate with the gypsies challenged the notion that happiness can be found by reverting to nature. The end of the poem is "But even among you, poor sons of nature, there is no happiness! Tormenting dreams live under your bedraggled tents."
SOLYONY. ...I don't have anything against you, Baron. But I'm like Hamilton (in a low voice) people even say that I look like him...
An American statesman, politician, legal scholar, military commander, lawyer, banker, and Founding Father
The original reference is to Lermontov (1814-1841), a Russian Romantic poet and author. He had a profound influence on Russian writers and lived an exciting, scandalous life that finally ended in him losing a duel. He died at only age 26. His life resembles Alexander Hamilton's in an uncanny number of ways. He started his life in poverty and moved up in the world through education and ingenuity. His work is still loved by people to this day. He ended up in a duel with a frenemy of his. It was well known that he intended to shoot his weapon straight up in the air, his opponent shot him straight on.
CHEBUTYKIN. ...And they talked of Shakespeare and Voltaire and I've never read them, I've never read anything at all but I put on a face like I could recall every word...
Voltaire (1694-1778) is a liberal french Enlightenment philosopher known for his wit, criticism of Christianity, and advocacy for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state. One of his quotations that would've resonated with Chekhov is "God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
CHEBUTYKIN. ...Ah, well, Natasha's got her little romance with Protopopov... (Sings) "Hello young lovers, whoever you are, I hope your troubles are few..."
From the song Hello, Young Lovers from Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I (1956)
In this song, Anna sings to the King's wives about her deceased husband, Tom and talks to them about love as a concept. The end of the song is "Don't cry young lovers, whatever you do / Don't cry because I'm alone / All my memories are happy tonight / I've had a love of my own."
VERSHININ. ... Yes, I can't quite find the words today but I feel like I have to go on living... (Sings) "Like a river flows, surely to the sea / Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be..."
MASHA. Da da da [Take my hand]
VERSHININ. Da da da da da [Take my whole life too]
MASHA. Da da da da [For I can't help]
VERSHININ. Da da da da da da (Laughs) [Falling in love with you]
From the song I Can't Help Falling in Love With You by Elvis Presley (1961)
SOLYONY. Fine, but I won't forget this. "I'd make my meaning crystal clear, but 'twould upset the geese I fear." (Looks at Tuzenbach) Cheep, cheep, cheep...
From Ivan Krylov's fable The Geese (1811)
In this fable, the barnyard animals brag about their ancestors who saved Rome, while they themselves haven't conquered anything. Author Ivan Krylov wrote political stories that often got him in trouble with censorship officials. While some of his work was unpublished and is now lost, the political messages in others were heavily veiled.
MASHA. ... My sisters... I've said it and now I'll never say anything again and nothing will change. Now I'll be like Hamlet... "the rest is silence."
From Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act 5 Scene 2
Hamlet's last words.
CHEBUTYKIN. Yes. I think you're right. (Sings softly) "It was just one of those things..."
From the song Just One of Those Things written by Cole Porter, performed by Ella Fitzgerald (1935)
IRINA. After tomorrow, I'll never have to hear "The Maiden's Prayer" ever again. And I won't have to talk to Protopopov... (Pause) He's sitting there in the drawing room.
Song by Polish composer Tekla Bedarzewska-Baranowska
This song is known for being easy to play. Supposedly, anyone who could read a note could play "The Maiden's Prayer"
ANDREY. So much noise... "My kingdom for some peace..."
From Shakespeare's Richard III, Act 5 Scene 4
The original line is "My kingdom for a horse!" In the middle of a battle, Richard's horse is killed and he spends hours wandering to find it, killing everything around him in a fatalistic rage. This line is often used ironically, when someone needs something seemingly insignificant to complete an important task.