Rivkala’s Ring
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Play Description
Famously astute observer of everyday life, Spalding Gray receives a Chekhov short story in the mail, leading him into a monologue that confronts the fears that beset us.
Production Info
Cast: 1 total (1 male)Short Comedy (about 25 minutes)
Single Set
Contemporary Costumes
- Reviews
- About the Author(s)
- About the Book
- Special Notes
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Press Quotes
“Take seven contemporary American playwrights with highly distinctive voices and wildly differing approaches to the theater. Ask each to adapt one of Anton Chekhov’s short stories, which range in mood from the melancholic to the satiric — and back again … the results are incomparably delicious … when ORCHARDS is good — which is most of the time — it is very, very good, indeed …” —Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times
“The notion of asking seven contemporary playwrights to produce variations on themes by Anton Chekhov seems at first like asking for combination-platter theater … All of the playwrights use Chekhov short stories for a springboard — but some have jumped so far into the deep end that it would be more accurate to say that they maybe looked at his picture while they were writing … Whether you pick from Column A or Column B, ORCHARDS offers a superior menu.” —Megan Rosenfeld, The Washington Post
Author(s)
Spalding GraySpalding Gray was born in Rhode Island on June 5, 1941. He began as an actor in summer theatre and in time became a major influence in New York City's avant-garde theatre with the Wooster Group. It was here that he began to perform and write monologues. These hilarious, yet often sad stories of his personal life made him famous. The best known is SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA. Spalding also appeared in about 50 movies, and made occasional TV appearances, from Charlie Rose to The Nanny. But he first and foremost thought of himself as an author. He died in an apparent suicide in 2004.
Anton ChekhovWidely considered one of the world's greatest writers, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860, in Taganrog, Russia. In 1879 he entered the University of Moscow to study medicine and graduated in 1884. He kept a strict writing schedule and continued to practice medicine for the rest of his life. In addition to his numerous short stories, many considered masterpieces of the form, Chekhov wrote over a dozen plays, among them the classics of Western dramatic literature UNCLE VANYA, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, THE THREE SISTERS, and THE SEAGULL.
Special Notes
If original stage producers credits appear in bold below, all licensees are required to include them in the following form on the title page in all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play and in all advertising in which the full cast appears in size of type not less than ten percent (10%) of the size of the title of the Play:
Originally produced by The Acting Company
In addition, the following must appear within all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play:
by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc, NYC
www.broadwayplaypub.com
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