A Ceres theatre group will take on the Russian classic the Three Sisters at its historic sandstone hall next month.
Local actress Stacey Carmichael, who plays the youngest of the three sisters, said the venue was perfect for the play.
“The venue is amazing because it’s so intimate,” she said.
“The story is very intimate, too, so it suits the play.”
Carmichael plays 20-year-old Irina in the century-old play which was written by Russian theatre great Anton Chekhov.
“It’s all about relationships and growing up,” she said.
The 31-year-old drama teacher has just returned from a Shakespearean course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
She said the course fuelled her love of classic texts and she can’t wait to get stuck into this one.
“It’s a great challenge for an actress. There are just so many layers.”
The play follows the sisters in their provincial Russian town and their beloved brother, an aspiring professor.
Three Russian soldiers visit as house guests, bringing news from Moscow where the girls spent their childhood, and so wish to return.
Carmichael praised the cast and director Elaine Mitchell’s “vision” for the play.
However, remaking the play was no easy task said Mitchell. She researched several translations to create the dialogue for a modern audience.
“The difficulty in producing such a play of high repute is working with the translation,” she said.
Mitchell said she was drawn to Chekhov’s masterpiece for its focus on the human condition.
“We see beautiful qualities in people like compassion and kindness, and in contrast we see jealousy, manipulation and the misuse of power.”
“Chekhov’s issues in this play are human rather than political or social, or religious. This is partly why it continues to be staged across the world today.”
The play opens at Ceres on 7 October.
For more information visit www.theatreofthewingedunicorn.com.au.
