By Olivia Eiken | Staff Writer
Catch a glimpse of the amount of work Baylor Theatre has put into its production of “Three Sisters” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7-11 at Mabee Theatre.
Directed by third-year graduate student Lucas Skjaret, “Three Sisters” is the story of the Prozorov sisters, who have lived in rural Russia for the last decade. They moved to their provincial town when their now-deceased father, a colonel, became stationed there. They long to return to Moscow, but they feel trapped. The play takes place over a handful of years, during which the sisters contend with a series of events that turn their world upside down.
Playwright Anton Chekhov is considered one of the great writers of the 20th century, revolutionizing Western stages by refining and proliferating realism. Playwright Sarah Ruhl, whom many consider one of the most prolific contemporary American playwrights, adapted his piece.
Together, the Prozorov siblings search for meaning in Ruhl’s fresh and lyrical adaptation of Chekhov’s tragicomic masterpiece about memory, inertia and missed opportunities.
Waco senior Kayla Bush plays the role of Olga, the oldest of the three sisters. Bush said it’s difficult to concisely summarize the show, and she feels the deeper meaning will be revealed as the audience experiences it.
“’Three Sisters’ is ultimately about remaining hopeful for the future, despite the boredom and anguish of everyday life,” Bush said. “The characters in this play may feel a little foreign because of how they look and speak, but I think audiences will be surprised to realize that their characters are funny, hypocritical, messy and truly just human.”
How the characters look and dress in “Three Sisters” plays an essential part in how the production is to be understood.
Sarah Mosher, assistant professor of costume design, said the costumes play a pivotal role in setting up the hierarchy of social roles — and therefore communicate with the audience about the rules of the world they are seeing on the stage.
“The details of the costumes can hold Easter eggs about the characters and their role in the world,” Mosher said. “My fabulous student and assistant costume designer, Andee Roby, selected the military medals and insignia to speak to each character and therefore reveal something about themselves.”
The “Three Sisters” production — like every show crafted by Baylor Theatre — would not be possible without the support of the Baylor and Waco community. Bush said simply being in the audience is one of the best ways to support the arts.
“Having an audience to share the results of the great effort the cast and crew put in is insurmountable,” Bush said. “It really makes the work feel worthwhile when you first perform a show in front of an audience and seeing as they create their own connections and interpretations of the piece.”
