UNCLE VANYA Week 3 Session: “The Weight of Regret” – Chekhov – Act 2 – The Rehearsal Room [Video, Audio, and Transcript versions]

UNCLE VANYA Week 3 Session: “The Weight of Regret” – The Rehearsal Room

Libby: This is the way I thought we might proceed tonight. I think we’ll finish the read and stopping and talking, and then we’ll plan on, you know, once again running it, in the last half hour. I really want to continue to pick through it a little faster than we, because we only got a page and a half done yesterday, I mean, last week. so we’ll go a little bit faster. But I think that’s what this little class is about, which is figuring out how you go about working out given circumstances, motivation and how you play this work and the way the playwright is giving you clues. I’m always looking for the clues that the playwright gives us. I wanted to just for a minute, go over the given circumstances that we’ve already discussed, just to have it as a. As a kind of backbone for what we’re doing. It’s a midsummer stormy night with humid and, ah, electrons in the air.

Libby: And it’s windy, but the wind is not giving relief. The important idea is that it’s a storm that is not giving relief. And it makes you more edgy when you’re up and not asleep on a night like that. These people have not slept for at least two nights because of, the ailing professor. everybody’s exhausted. Everything is exhausted. The samovar is exhausted. they’re irritable and they’re blaming the others, for their situation. That’s it. And we’ve all been through that. We all know what that’s like. And, you can’t have had every family gathering all cheery and joyous without underneath, irritations and anger going on somewhere in your life. I can’t believe that, and this is something we talked about, but I think kind of briefly, Ser Bryakov and Yelena are there permanently. That’s what the given circumstance of the play is. They have left St. Petersburg or Moscow and they have sold their place there. We don’t know that they’ve sold it, but they’ve said goodbye to the. To the city life, and they’re going to live in the country. And while they have come to the country before, to their summer house, this estate or this farm that they’re living on now, they’ve never permanently come there. So. So that adds just heaps of psychological, torment and irritation, to. And I can imagine for Sonia, you know, feeling joyous that her father is there and feeling not so joyous that Yelena is there. There’s all kinds of things that happened that are happening now. That have to do with this summer and this night. Given what the environmental conditions are. The personal and physical conditions. Because of the exhaustion. And, the fact that they know they’re never going to get rid of Serbyakov and Yelena. Or so they think. We know. The play goes somewhere else. But at this point, that’s what’s happening to these people. what else? Is there anything else that you think that you want to add to this kind of given circumstance? Anybody else have any thoughts about that? Okay. All right. Let’s dig in. I thought we would go. You know what? What the hell. Let’s read the first page again. I promise not to stop. Alison, you do the stage direction. I mean, I promise not to stop for the first page and a half. But I promise you I will stop. as we move along. So. Okay. Cool.

Alison: Act two. The dining room and Sarah Byakov’s home. Night in the garden. The watchman can be heard tapping. Serebyakov sits in an armchair before an open window and dozes. And Yelena Andreevna sits beside him and also dozes.

Alberto: Who’s there? Sonia, is that you?

Sarah: I’m here.

Alberto: Are, you here? Notchka, the pain is unbearable.

Libby: Here.

Sarah: Your blanket fell.

Alison: She rocked all the gloves.

Sarah: I’ll shut the window.

Alberto: No, I’m suffocating. I was just nodding off. And I dreamt that my leg was attached to someone else. I woke up in such excruciating pain. No, this is not gout. Probably rheumatism. What time is it?

Sarah: 20 minutes after 12.

Alberto: In the morning. Go look for Batyushkov in the library. I’m sure we have him.

Sarah: What?

Alberto: Look for Batyushkov in the morning. I seem to recall we have him. Why can’t I breathe?

Sarah: You’re tired. This is the second night you haven’t slept.

Alberto: You say Turgenev developed angina pectoris from gout. I’m afraid I’m getting it too.

Libby: Era. do you want him to doze? Back off or you want to have a conversation? What do you want when you say you’re tired?

Sarah: Oh, I desperately want him to doze off again. Sorry, what did you say? Libby.

Libby: Then help him.

Sarah: Okay.

Libby: Let’S go. From look for Batushkov.

Alberto: Look for Batyushkov in the morning. I seem to recall we have him. Why can’t I breathe?

Sarah: You’re tired. This is the second night you haven’t slept.

Alberto: They say Turgenev developed angina pectoris from gout. I’m afraid I’m getting it Too damn, Disgusting. Old age. The devil take it. Now that I’m old, I can’t stand looking at myself. And I’m sure all of you must be repulsed by me too.

Sarah: You make it sound as if it’s our fault you got old.

Alberto: And I’m most disgusting to you.

Alison: Walks away and sits at some distance.

Alberto: Of course, you’re right. I’m not stupid. I understand. You’re young, healthy, beautiful, you want to live. And I’m an old man, almost a corpse. True, I understand all too well. And of course it’s a terrible crime I have lived this long. But wait a little. Soon you’ll be free of me. I won’t last much longer.

Sarah: I’m exhausted.

Libby: Alberto.

Alberto: Yes?

Libby: Do you think that true is there with a question mark?

Alberto: Don’t you agree, my dear? Or please say something to contradict what I’m saying.

Libby: Maybe. And then. And she doesn’t. I’m not telling you to leave space forward.

Alberto: I understand.

Libby: For you to get other tactics. Right. All right, let’s go back from, Let’s say. Let’s go back from the Turgenia line. And angina pectoris, of course, is very serious. It leads to a heart attack.

Alberto: So.

Libby: Right, Alberto?

Alberto: Oh, yeah, yeah. They say t developed angina pectoris from gal.

Alberto: I’m afraid I’m getting it too. Damn disgusting. Old age. The devil take it. Now that I’m old, I can’t stand looking at myself. And I’m sure all of you must be repulsed by me too.

Sarah: You make it sound as if it’s our fault you got old.

Alberto: But I’m most disgusting to you.

Alison: She walks away and sits at some distance.

Alberto: Of course, you’re right. I’m not stupid. I understand. You’re young, healthy, beautiful, you want to live. And I’m an old man, almost a corpse. True, I understand all too well. And of course it’s a terrible crime I have lived this long. But wait a little. Soon you’ll be free of me. I won’t last much longer.

Sarah: I’m exhausted. For God’s sake, be quiet.

Alberto: Yes, everyone is exhausted because of me. They’re bored. They’re wasting their time. They’re wasting their youth. I’m the only one who’s happy. I’m the only one having a good time. Well, yes, of course.

Sarah: Be quiet. You’ve worn me out.

Alberto: Yes, you’ve worn everyone out. of course.

Libby: Stop one second, Sarah. Yeah? You see how you earned that? Yelling, at him in that moment. That was great.

Sarah: Oh, good.

Libby: Yeah. But you understand what I mean? You earned it by trying your best before.

Sarah: Yeah, yeah. Thank you.

Libby: Yeah. Good. Sorry, Alberto.

Alberto: No, of course I’m fine. From where?

Libby: Yes, yes, that’s good, Alberto. Go From. yes, everyone is exhausted.

Alberto: Yes, everyone is exhausted. All because of me. They’re bored. They’re wasting their time, wasting their youth. I’m the only one who’s happy. I’m the only one having a good time. Well, yes, of course.

Sarah: Be quiet. You’ve worn me out.

Alberto: Yes, I have worn everyone out.

Deidre: this is unbearable.

Sarah: Sorry. Cut you off. This is unbearable. What do you want of me? Tell me what you want from me.

Alberto: Nothing.

Sarah: Well, then be quiet. I beg you.

Alberto: It’s so strange. Ivan Petrovich talks his head off, or that old idiot Maria. Vasilyevna. And it’s just fine. Everyone listens. But when I say one word, everyone suddenly feels desolate. Even my voice is offensive.

Libby: I’m running past. Just, wanted to ask you what a word. Desolate. What do you think? Why would he choose that word, do you think, Alberto?

Alberto: gosh.

Alberto: Desolate implies, loneliness, being trapped all in a desert island somehow. That’s what the word means to me.

Libby: Yeah, yeah.

Alberto: There.

Libby: And it’s extreme. It’s an extreme state. To be desolate is to be bereft of everything, to lose everything. Right? As you say, on a desert island.

Alberto: Yeah, that’s something.

Libby: but I’m asking why you? Why you think. Let’s go back to the beginning of that speech again. And I want you to think of why you would choose that word. It’s a big word. Big word is wrong. It’s. It’s a powerful word.

Alberto: It’s like I, My, My effect. My effect on them is so powerful.

Libby: Yes, yes, yes. For them poor. These young, beautiful creatures.

Alberto: Is it Petrovich or Petrovich.

Alison: Sorry, Ivan Petrovich.

Alberto: Petrovich. I was saying it.

Howard: Right.

Alberto: Okay.

Libby: And. And. Maria, Give, give hers too.

Alberto: Vasily.

Alison: That’s correct, Maria Vasilievna.

Libby: Vasily. I only know these a million times, and I still can’t get them. Okay, go back to that. Serov. It’s so strange.

Alberto: It’s so strange. Ivan Petrovich docks his head off, that old idiot Maria. Vasilyevna. And it’s just fine. Everyone listens. But when I say one word, everyone suddenly feels desolate. Even my voice is offensive. Well, let’s assume I am offensive. I’m an egoist. I’m a despot. Don’t I have the right to Be an egoist in my old age. Think about it. Haven’t I earned it? I ask you, don’t I have the right to a, comfortable old age, surrounded by my admirers?

Sarah: No one is taking away your rights.

Alison: The window bangs from the wind.

Sarah: It’s very windy. I’ll close the window.

Alison: She closes it.

Libby: Yeah. And I just want you to go back and do that again. Alberto, Very good. I just wanted to say, because I’m not far from his position in life, you know, retired, let go of all the in quotes, glories. I know that this really hurts. I just want you to recognize where you can find that.

Alberto: Yes, okay. I guess I was covering it too much.

Libby: Covering is good. Covering is excellent. But I want you to also recognize the position when you say, haven’t I earned the right to, you know, being an egoist. you have, you’ve. You’ve, you’ve had a, in your view, a very important career, right?

Alberto: Mm, Yeah. Yes. Thank you.

Libby: So start from. It’s so strange. Again, Alberto.

Alberto: It’s so strange. Ivan Petrovich talks his head off. Or that old idiot Maria, Vasilyevna. And it’s just fine. Everyone listens. But when I say one word, everyone suddenly feels desolate. Even my voice is offensive. Let’s assume I’m offensive. I’m an egoist. I’m a despot. Don’t I have the right to be an egoist in my old age? Think about it. Haven’t I earned, it, I ask you, don’t I have the right to a comfortable, old age? Be surrounded by admirers.

Sarah: No one is taking away your rights.

Alison: The window bangs from the wind.

Sarah: It’s very windy. I’ll close the window.

Alison: She closes it.

Sarah: It’ll rain soon. No one’s denying your rights.

Alberto: All one’s life to be. Oh, do we need. We do. We want that. We want that. Stage directions, right?

Libby: Yes, yes.

Alison: pause. The watchman in the garden taps and sings a song.

Alberto: All one’s life to be dedicated to scholarship, to become accustomed to one’s study.

Libby: I just want to ask everybody, what do you think of the watchman? We know he needs to tap to say everything’s okay there, but what about his singing the song? What do you think, is going on there in terms of the atmosphere, what we’ve been witnessing in the room and the watchmen? Anybody have any thoughts on that?

Corey: it feels like a sharp contrast to what’s going on completely. Like something happy versus something very Very sad and, heartbreaking.

Libby: That’s the way it feels to me too.

Sarah: There’s also, just, like. At least from Yelena’s perspective, there’s hope that this will change that. Like, okay, thank God. There’s something different, and we’re going to stay on something different. And the fact that he then slides back into things is so utterly defeating.

Libby: Yes. Great. Mounting the evidence. Yes. Okay. M. I’m just pointing it out because I told you. Even his stage directions are giving you clues to what’s happening inside you, inside the scene. Okay, let’s go back to, It’s very windy. I’ll close the window.

Sarah: It’s very windy. I’ll, close the window.

Alison: She closes it, it’ll rain.

Sarah: No one’s denying your rights.

Alison: The watchman in the garden taps and sings a song.

Alberto: All one’s life to be dedicated to scholarship. To become accustomed to one’s study, to the classroom, to respected colleagues. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, to find oneself buried in this tomb. Every day to deal with stupid people, to listen to insignificant chatter. I want to live. I love success. I love fame. I love action. But here I’m in exile. every minute longing for the past, watching the success of others, fearing death.

Libby: I cannot.

Alberto: I, don’t have the strength. And no one can forgive me for being old.

Libby: Wait a little.

Sarah: Have patience. In five or six years, I’ll be old too.

Alison: Sonia enters.

Deidre: Papayou sent for Dastro, but when he came, you refused to see him. That’s so rude. You bothered this man.

Alberto: Why do I need your Astroth?

Libby: Hold on.

Alberto: He understands this.

Libby: Hold on one second.

Deidre: Deidre.

Libby: would you use Papa?

Deidre: Papa?

Libby: Yeah. And the reason I wanted to do that is that it’s plainer than Papa. And Vanya is the only one who uses the French. Helene. And we’ll talk about that when we get to that. But I wanted this to be simpler for her.

Deidre: Yeah, okay.

Alberto: while we’re stopped.

Libby: Yes.

Alberto: Does. Is he making a little weak pun with Ostrov’s name and astronomy?

Libby: Oh, I don’t know. That’s a great choice. I hadn’t thought of that myself. Honestly. That’s great. Yes.

Alberto: It’s not a good one, but,

Libby: Good. I think I like him better than you do. Alberto.

Alison: Half past midnight. You know, give him some credit.

Libby: Definitely. I think that’s. I think it’s funny.

Deidre: Funny.

Alberto: Okay.

Libby: Okay. Let’s go back to,

Alberto: Sonia enters.

Libby: Yes. Sonia’s entrance.

Alison: Sonia enters.

Deidre: Papa, you sent for Dr. Astro, but when he came, you refused to see Him? That’s so rude. You bothered this man.

Alberto: Why do I need your Astroff? He understands about medicine as I do astronomy.

Deidre: We cannot send for the entire medical faculty just for your gout.

Alberto: I won’t talk to that idiot.

Alison: Jewish, she said.

Libby: Okay, hold on for a second, Deidre. You not only came because you heard that Papa still up, right? Came into the room. But did you have a reason for coming in? Not just.

Alberto: M.

Deidre: I mean, I think it’s hearing him and coming to check in to see if anybody was in here with him.

Libby: Yeah. That’s good. Then why do you bring up Astro right away?

Deidre: That. The fact that. That Astrov has been. He’s been hanging out at the house, you know, and he hasn’t been in. You know. My assumption well before is he hasn’t had a chance to see him. He’s been turned away.

Libby: He’s been turned away, and it’s the middle of the night. And he still hasn’t seen him. And Astrop still wandering around the house. Yeah. Right.

Deidre: And that, means that I have to m. I have to be aware of that. So it’s like, you know, If Astrov is there, then, you know.

Libby: Well, so. Yes, yes, but you don’t dare say that to yourself yet. No, you’re not there yet. I mean, you are. No, she’s not.

Deidre: She’s. Well, she. You know, I mean, that’s.

Alberto: It’s.

Deidre: It’s in there somewhere. But nonetheless, it’s. It’s a guest in her house that.

Libby: She has someone that, you know, is. You, Know, doesn’t hang out here. He does this summer. That’s what the effect of the summer is. But he doesn’t. He. He’s a busy man. He’s. He’s a doctor, for God’s sake. Kind of thing. Do you know what I mean? Right.

Deidre: Yes. Yes.

Libby: So maybe put that in your reasoning for coming in too. To get him to see Astro. Yeah. Let’s. Let’s go. Go back to your entrance, Dade.

Sarah: Okay.

Alison: Sonia enters.

Deidre: Papa. you sent for that to. For Dr. Astrop, but when he came, you refused to see him. That’s so rude. You bothered this man who’s.

Alberto: Why do I need your Astro? He understands about medicine as I do astronomy.

Deidre: We cannot send for the entire medical faculty just for your gout.

Alberto: I won’t talk to that idiot.

Deidre: As you wish.

Alison: She sits.

Deidre: It’s all the same to me.

Alberto: What time is it?

Sarah: Almost one.

Alberto: It’s stifling. Sonia, give me the drops from the table.

Deidre: Yes, of course.

Alberto: not These. I can’t ask for anything.

Deidre: Oh, please stop acting like a baby. It may be fine for others, but spare me, please. I don’t like it. I don’t have time. I need to get up early tomorrow. I have the hay to mow.

Alison: Enter Voynitsky in a dressing gown and with a candle.

Howard: The storm’s coming.

Libby: One second, one second. Deidre, this. Hm? Isn’t this speech about stop acting like a baby?

Libby: Is that the way you normally speak to him?

Deidre: You know, No, I think she’s just tired, and it’s been relentless. It’s just been relentless.

Libby: Yes. She’s normally an extremely nice person, right?

Deidre: Yes.

Libby: Yes. So there’s a fight in her. All I’m saying is I want you to be aware that, it’s costing you something to talk this way to him. Okay, let’s just go back and do that, and then you’re coming in. Okay? Let’s go from asking for the drops. Alberto, please.

Alberto: Sonia, give me the drops from the table.

Deidre: yes, of course.

Alberto: Not these. I can’t ask for anything.

Deidre: Please stop acting like a baby. It may be fine for others, but spare me, please. I don’t like it. I don’t have time. I need to get up early tomorrow.

Julie: I have to.

Deidre: Hey.

Alison: Timo Intervoynitsky in a dressing gown and with a candle.

Howard: The storm’s coming.

Alison: Lightning.

Howard: Here we go. Helene. and Sonia, go to sleep. I came to relieve you.

Alberto: No, no, don’t.

Libby: I’m sorry. You know, it’s hard. I’m sorry. To be so hard on you to stop like this. It’s a little harder in the zoom, because in the room, you can see me a little easier. But, this is only our chance to do this. Vanya, why do you. Wait? I’m going back for a second. I just realized something. Sonia is not in pajamas, is she? She’s not in a nightgown because Astrup is in the house.

Corey: Yeah.

Libby: Not only to look nice, but also, you would never be undressed in front.

Deidre: Of a gossip right now.

Libby: Not settled down? I. I guess I started in my head thinking that she was in jammies, but, I don’t think so. That makes a difference. It’s just how vulnerable you are, how exposed you are. Is in pajamas. Because Chekhov asked him to come in in a dressing gown and with a candle. So he’s tried. He hasn’t been with. With the Doctor the whole time. Right, Howard? What do you think?

Howard: No, it seems like he’s gone to, It seems like he’s gone to bed and maybe couldn’t fall asleep and was self medicating to try to get himself to fall asleep and then just gave up.

Libby: It’s not me. Yeah, that’s not me.

Sarah: Who’s Alberto? He’s muted.

Libby: Okay, fine. Wait. Say what you were just saying, please.

Howard: it seems like Vanya went to bed, and was like. I want to say self medicating in bed, was drinking in bed almost. And, just gave up at some point. I mean, I do this where I can’t fall asleep, and then finally, I’m just like. And I just get up and wander around the house and make noise.

Libby: Yeah.

Howard: draw as much attention to myself as possible. so it just seems like he’s like, well, let me go see if anyone wants to pay attention to me. I was wondering, is he contradicting when she’s. Does he hear her say, I have the hey to mo? And is he saying, the storm’s coming. You’re not going to mow the hay?

Libby: That’s an interesting.

Howard: I don’t know what the Russian says, but, if he overhears her, he could be like, the storm’s coming. Like, almost contradicting Sonia a little bit.

Libby: What does it give you? What does it get you? Just a reason to come in.

Howard: Maybe a little, Well, yeah, maybe, but also, like, a little bit of. A little bit of nudgey, know it allness, maybe, you know, you’re not going to mow the hay. The storm’s coming.

Libby: I see. Okay, let’s try that. That’s. That’s a great choice. Let’s see what that’s like. Howard. so to do that this time, don’t read the stage direction there. Enter Vanya. Allison. Okay, so we can see how that plays. Go from, Sonia, can you go from stop acting like a baby. Please stop.

Deidre: Please stop acting like a baby. It may be fine for others, but spare me, please. I don’t like it. I don’t have time. I need to get up early tomorrow. I have the, hay to mow.

Howard: No, the storm’s coming. Here we go. Helen and Sonia, go to sleep. I came to relieve you.

Libby: Okay. That’s a great choice. It’s a good entrance line, Howard. You’ll keep trying, see what you get from it. I wanted to ask you about the Helene. Using the French for her name. No one else in the playground.

Alberto: Helene.

Howard: Uh-huh.

Libby: You got a thought about that?

Howard: well, the m. Mother. my mother, she calls. She calls me Jean. Several times. Right. so maybe it’s just like a kind of leftover family affectation. Is it a pet name?

Libby: I don’t know.

Howard: Elaine and Sonia.

Libby: I need you to be aware, to be able to make a choice from it.

Howard: Yeah.

Libby: Because it is different than anything else. I will say this. This is not a regular farm family. These people have been educated, and Vanya has read a great deal. And knowing French, is a mark of education and class. Societal class.

Howard: Well, it also seems like it’s, something I picked up reading at this last time. It seems like Vanya and the mother and my sister had traveled to St. Petersburg to see them when they were there. And in St. Petersburg. Correct me if I’m wrong, but. But there’s a lot. At this time, there was a lot more French, but, like, it was. It was a metropolitan, cosmopolitan thing. So maybe it’s a leftover from, like, knowing her in a more cultured place.

Libby: could be.

Howard: somewhere. I think it’s in Act 1. It’s implied that he had been they. When they first met her, it was in St. Petersburg. Right. He knew her from the city as opposed to.

Libby: You have to make the reason for it. That’s the guess. Yes.

Howard: And then. So she’s more from this other world. Right?

Libby: Yes. She certainly doesn’t belong on a farm.

Howard: Right.

Alison: And Yelena is the Russian version of Helen in the way that Ivan is the Russian version of John or Jean.

Howard: Right. Right.

Libby: And, But the fact that he chooses to use the little bit of French, it’s slightly romantic, too. It’s. You know, he changes when he talks to her. We’re going to see the real him very soon. When he’s alone and he talks, we’ll. We’ll see him really revealed. But, his attitude with her, he’s trying to get to first base. Okay, let’s do that again. Sonia, please stop acting.

Howard: He’s trying to just get a hit. He’s not.

Libby: Not even. Can’t even get onto the bases yet. Okay.

Howard: He’s just getting all strikes.

Libby: But wait a minute. I do want to say we have every indication that there is a real friendship between the two of you. I think that’s really important because Yelena would not. She is a gorgeous woman, and she has had lots of admirers in her life, and she wouldn’t be able to talk to you and swat you away the way she does if she didn’t know you as well as she did. Does that make sense to you, too, Sarah?

Sarah: 100%. Yeah.

Libby: Okay.

Howard: From where?

Deidre: Please stop acting like a baby.

Libby: Mm.

Deidre: Please stop acting like a baby. It may be fine for others, but spare me, please. I don’t like it. I don’t have time. I need to get up early tomorrow. I have the hay to mow.

Howard: No, the storm’s coming.

Alison: Lightning.

Howard: Here we go. Here we go. Helene and Sonia, go to sleep. I came to relieve you.

Alberto: No, no, don’t leave me with him. no. He’ll talk my head off.

Howard: But they’ve got to get some rest. They didn’t sleep at all last night.

Alberto: Let them go to sleep. But you go, too. Thank you. I implore you in the name of a former friendship. Just go. We’ll talk later.

Howard: Our, former friendship. Former.

Deidre: Be quiet, Uncle.

Libby: What do you think that grin is? Howard with a grin?

Howard: I took it as he’s, like, almost trying to entertain. He’s, like, trying to josh through it a little bit for the benefit of Sonia and Yelena.

Libby: Well, that’s a good point.

Howard: Like. Oh, did you hear that? Our former friendship.

Libby: Yeah. Hm. That’s. That’s a great choice. Let’s go back to, Let them go to sleep.

Alberto: Well, let them go to sleep, but you go too. Thank you. I implore you in. In the name of a former friendship. Just go. Talk later.

Howard: Our, former friendship. Former.

Deidre: Be quiet, Uncle.

Alberto: Vanya, my dear. Don’t leave me with him. He’ll talk my head off.

Howard: Can you believe how ludicrous this is?

Deidre: You ought to be in. Oh, sorry.

Alison: Barina enters with a candle.

Deidre: You ought to be in bed, Nanya, Very late.

Julie: The samovar is still boiling. You can’t exactly expect me to go to bed.

Alberto: No one. M. Is sleeping. Everybody is exhausted. I alone am in a state of bliss.

Alison: He goes over to Sarah Bikov, tenderly.

Julie: What is it, my dear? Are you in pain? My legs ache too.

Libby: One second. Can you see how all this leads up to this soothing nurse? It’s very fractious in the air. It’s. Don’t leave me with them. Oh, my God. Get out of here. Get. And it’s all leading up to her calming the atmosphere down. Finally calming the atmosphere down. So let’s go back and let’s build and see what that feels like, because it’s a little piece of music here. All leading to Nanya. but let’s go from here we go. Helene and Sonia. Or Helen. Sonia, go to sleep. Anya.

Howard: Here we go. Helene and Sonia go to sleep. I came to relieve you.

Alberto: No, no, don’t leave me with Him?

Libby: No.

Alberto: We’ll talk my head off.

Howard: But they’ve got to get some rest. They didn’t sleep at all last night.

Alberto: Let them go to sleep. But you go too. Thank you. I implore you in the name of a form of friendship. Just go. We’ll talk later.

Howard: Our, former friendship. Former.

Deidre: Be quiet, Uncle Vanya.

Alberto: My dear, don’t leave me with him. He’ll talk my head off.

Howard: Can you believe how ludicrous this is?

Alison: Irina enters with a candle.

Deidre: Oh, you ought to be in bed, Nanya. It’s very late.

Julie: Samovar is still boiling. Can’t exactly expect me to go to bed.

Alberto: No, no one is sleeping. Everybody’s exhausted. I alone am, in a state of bliss.

Libby: Oh, God.

Alison: He goes to Serebyakov.

Julie: What is it, my dear? Are you in pain?

Deidre: Mm.

Julie: My legs ache too. They ache so.

Alison: She adjusts the blanket.

Julie: You’ve been in pain such a long time. Vera Petrovna, Sonia’s mother, may she rest in peace, never slept either. She nearly killed herself taking care of you. She loved you very much. Oh, yes. Old people are like children. They want someone to feel sorry for them. But no one feels sorry for the old.

Alison: Kisses him on the shoulder.

Julie: Let’s go to bed, my dear. Let’s go, my little boy. I’ll make you limelife tea. I’ll warm your legs. I’ll pray to God for you.

Alberto: Let’s go, Marina.

Julie: My legs ache too. They ache.

Alison: So she leads him together with Sonia.

Julie: Vera Petrovna nearly killed herself. Always crying. You, Sonietzka, were still little then. Come, my dear.

Libby: Very, very, very good. And, you can see how everything changes because of the way she speaks to him. Julie, I wanted to ask you something. what do you think about this? talking about the wife that died? In front of the wife, that is. I mean, I don’t know that she thinks about that, but. What do you think about that?

Julie: Oh, I think her main audience is Yelena.

Libby: Oh, interesting. I like that.

Julie: But. But Marina’s very sly. It’s very covered with all these other things. I’m talking to you, Sonichka. You know.

Libby: Well, that. It’s pretty daring. That’s a. That’s a really daring choice. That’s very interesting. I love it. Let’s go back. Let’s. Let’s do that again. Let’s go. Let’s go from. What is it, my dear? Are you in pain? Okay. That’s Julie.

Julie: Oh, what is it, my dear? Are you in pain? My legs ache too. They ache so,

Alison: She adjusts the blanket.

Julie: You’ve been in pain such a long time. Vera Petrovna, Sonichka’s mother, may she rest in peace, never slept either. She nearly killed herself taking care of you.

Libby: Uh?

Julie: She loved you very much. Oh yes. Old people are like children. They want someone to feel sorry for them. But no one feels sorry for the old.

Alison: She kisses him on the shoulder.

Julie: Let’s go to bed, my dear. Let’s go, my little boy. I’ll make you some limelife tea. I’ll warm your legs. I’ll pray to God for you.

Alberto: Let’s go, Marina.

Julie: M. My legs ache too. They ache.

Libby: So.

Alison: She leads him together with Sonia.

Julie: Vera Petrovna nearly killed herself. Always crying. You Sonietchka. We’re still little then.

Libby: Come.

Julie: Come, my dear.

Libby: Wonderful.

Alison: Serebyakov. Sonia and Marina exit.

Sarah: I’m completely exhausted with him. I can barely stand on my feet.

Howard: You’re exhausted with him and I with myself. This is the third night I haven’t slept.

Sarah: Something is wrong in this house. Your mother hates everything except for her own pamphlets. And the professor. The professor is irritated. He doesn’t trust me. He’s afraid of you. Sonia is angry with her father, angry with me, and hasn’t talked to me for two weeks. You hate my husband and openly hold your own mother in contempt. I am short tempered and have at least 20 times today started to cry. There is something very wrong in this house.

Howard: Shall we cut the stop for a second?

Libby: That’s really good. Sarah, let me ask Yelena and Sonia, why have you been, Sonia, why have you been cool and not loving towards Yelena? Two weeks, by the way, that tells us that they’ve been here already two weeks.

Deidre: Already two weeks. I think, because I see that this woman doesn’t really love my father. M is, you know, she’s not the help that I would love for her to be. She’s not.

Libby: M. Devoted like your mother.

Deidre: She’s not devoted like my mother. so I think there’s, you know, I think even though they’ve been married for a while, I think she’s still suspect.

Libby: Mm hm.

Deidre: And. And you know what. What is the. You know what. What will she be walking away with? You know, here’s this young woman. I think there’s a question as to why. Why did you marry him? Because you couldn’t love. I mean, it wasn’t. It couldn’t have been love.

Deidre: Right. Because they, you know, they had the conversation later. So what’s in the will? You know, is she a gold digger?

Libby: Mm.

Libby: That’s great. And you, are you aware of Astro’s attraction to her or not yet?

Deidre: I. I think that, my feeling is. Because he’s been coming. The fact that he’s hanging around.

Libby: Yes.

Deidre: You know, it’s like. My feeling is he’s a busy man, you know, and you’ve never hung around before, so now you’re hanging around, you know, you came and it’s like, don’t you have somewhere else to go? You know? And my feeling is you can’t not. You know, this is. I don’t. I don’t know if this is the first time he’s come out, but he’s hanging around.

Libby: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, let me just say that Yelena is the kind of woman who absolutely attracts every man in the room. And, I cannot. I had a couple of friends like that and I adored them. But sometimes it was difficult because there was no real chance to, you know, get to know somebody because they’re so attracted to this unbelievably gorgeous. And I don’t want to push that right now, but that has to be somewhere in the. You just. Women like this are clear to both women and men.

Deidre: Yeah. Oh, yeah, Absolutely.

Libby: That she’s a flirt or a slut or anything like that. She’s just. No, it’s just that attractive people.

Deidre: And there’s. And there’s, you know, I think there’s. There’s awe and jealousy, you know?

Libby: Yes, there.

Deidre: I mean, you know, it’s like you’re not. You’re not immune from, you know, I think even as a woman, not being immune from another woman’s beauty, you’re seeing all the things that you don’t have.

Libby: Exactly. Exactly. Yes. And, we have to be careful with that because Sonia is not a jealous girl by nature. She’s not, There isn’t a mean, spirit, spirited bone in her body. It costs her to have to tell her father just to lay off.

Deidre: Right.

Libby: It costs her because that’s not the way she thinks or does things. You know, I mean, she’s got an incredible heart, but something pushes a button with Jelena. I wish we were doing the scene between the two of you because, it’s so rich with layering so many feelings from each of you. Do you know.

Sarah: Could I just say, too, it’s interesting because Sonia’s 24, right. Or around 24. So we’ve been married for 10 years. I’ve known her since she was a young teenager, which Means, you know, being a young teenager with, you know, a woman who’s in her upper 20s, I can see there is the potential for a very different bond than the difference between two adult women. And so it’s very possible there was a loving, you know, the potential, if Yelena tried, and Sonia is so sweet, for a loving relationship. And it’s only as this woman has grown up to being a proper adult who loves men, that this tension would have appeared. So it is. It’s probably not just the return of Yelena and the professor, but it’s the fact that she’s in a very different place than when these two first met and got to know each other.

Libby: That’s excellent, Sarah.

Deidre: That’s great.

Libby: Okay, where were we?

Sarah: Uncle Vanya, shall we cut the philosophy, please?

Libby: Yeah, yeah, that’s right. and I also wanted to say, Sarah, that you. You were. I thought you were discovering and I’m giving you props for this. that you were discovering and letting that speech about something is wrong in this house, letting it happen rather than being sure in advance of what you were going to say. It’s like it’s happening now.

Sarah: Good. Okay, great.

Libby: Very, very good.

Sarah: it was your note last week.

Libby: So I’m glad I took that.

Sarah: Props to you, Libby.

Libby: Shut her up. Shut her up. Okay, okay. let’s go from, Let’s go from something is wrong in this house. What’s worse than somebody getting a compliment and then you have to do it?

Howard: I know, I know.

Sarah: Now I’m stressed.

Libby: Sorry about that.

Sarah: Oh, it’s all right. Something is wrong in this house. Your mother hates everything except her own pamphlets. And the professor. The professor is irritated. he doesn’t trust me. He’s afraid of you. Sonia is angry with her father, angry with me, and hasn’t talked to me for two weeks. You hate my husband and openly hold your own mother in contempt. I am short tempered, and at least 20 times today I have started to cry. There is something very wrong in this house.

Howard: Should we cut the philosophy, please?

Sarah: You, Ivan Petrovitch, are educated, intelligent, and you must see that the world is not being destroyed by thieves and fires and wars, but rather by hatred and hostility from all these petty squabbles. You shouldn’t add to the noisy complaining around us. You should be helping us find peace in your own family.

Howard: Help me find peace in myself, my darling.

Alison: He presses her hand to himself.

Libby: Stop.

Alison: She takes away her hand.

Libby: Okay, let’s get that again. Do you mean it, Howard? Help me find. Is that an end for you to make a. Yeah. Are we going to use metaphor all the way through? Yeah. So go for it. Go for these opportunities. So, let’s go from, you, Yvonne. Petrovich.

Sarah: Petrovich. Petrovich. Okay.

Libby: Oh, is it.

Sarah: No, no, no, I’m confirming. I couldn’t remember, but I wrote it, down. Petrovich. I have Petrovich in my brain forever. Okay. You, Ivan Petrovitch, are educated, intelligent, and you must see that the world is not being destroyed by thieves and fires and wars, but rather by hatred, hostility. from all these petty squabbles, you shouldn’t add to the noisy complaining around us. You should be helping to find peace in your own family.

Howard: Help me find peace in myself.

Libby: Try. Wait. Just try that again, Howard. Go for it. There’s an opening. Do you see?

Julie: She.

Libby: She gave you an opening. You should be finding peace in your own path. Go for it.

Corey: Okay.

Libby: If you pause, she’ll never let you.

Howard: Oh. Okay. I thought I, It might. I. I think there might be a lot of lag in my Internet. It felt like I. Okay, I’m in a. I’m in a hotel. Oh, wow.

Libby: That’s very mysterious.

Howard: I’ve been banished to a hotel. Now, can you give me. Can you just give me that line and I’ll try to come in.

Sarah: I’ll leave you in. And feel free to risk cutting me off. Howard, that’s totally fine. You shouldn’t be adding to the noisy complaining around us. You should be helping to find peace in your own family.

Howard: Help me find peace in myself, my darling.

Alison: He presses her hand to himself.

Libby: Stop.

Alison: She takes away her hand.

Sarah: Go away.

Howard: Soon it’ll stop raining, and everything in nature will be refreshed and alive. I alone will not be refreshed by the storm. Day and night, I’m strangled by the idea that my, life is irrevocably lost, that I’m dead, that I wasted my life, that I spent my life on trifles. Here, Take my life. Take my love. What good are they to me? What have I done with them? My feelings are dying away in vain. Like sunbeams falling into a dark pit. I’m dying.

Libby: Okay, wait. Good. Let’s just go back on that. Howard. it switches from I alone will not be. Where was it that I wanted to put point out to you? Day and night, I’m strangled by the idea that my life. Yes, it’s interesting. In trying to reach her, you begin to talk about your own problems.

Howard: Right.

Libby: Just. I just don’t Want you to gloss over. I’m sorry.

Nathan Agin: Uh-huh.

Libby: I’m stopping. I just. This is my only chance to tell you these things. Okay. All right. So let’s go from, Go away. Just from the. Go away, Sarah. To get.

Howard: So can I ask them? Is there, like. Is there a change in there? Soon it’ll stop raining and everything in nature will be refreshed and alive. Tiny little bi alone will not be refreshed by the storm.

Libby: I don’t know. I don’t know why there would be a pause there. You can try it. But, I think it’s all coming out of him.

Howard: Uh-huh.

Libby: He’s in a real midlife crisis. You understand that, right?

Howard: Yeah.

Libby: He feels everything in his life is ruined. Everything. And he’s making a play for her as fast as he can.

Howard: Right. Okay.

Alison: Would it help Sarah if I don’t do the stage directions there?

Sarah: It might, if that’s all right. Is that okay with you, Libby?

Libby: The reason I wanted the stage directions read through this time. We’re not going to do it when we do the scene, you know. again, I wanted you to know that that’s part of the fabric of the whole thing. That’s all. Okay, let’s go from Stop.

Howard: Go.

Libby: Wait. I know that’s an awful place, but how about.

Sarah: You should add, to the noisy complaining.

Libby: Yeah.

Sarah: You shouldn’t add to the noisy complaining around us. You should be helping to find peace in your own family.

Howard: Help me find peace in myself, my darling.

Libby: Stop.

Sarah: Go away.

Howard: Soon it’ll stop raining and everything in nature will be refreshed and alive. I alone will not be refreshed by the storm. Day and night, I’m strangled by the idea that my life is irrevocably lost, that I’m dead, that I wasted my life, that I spent my life on trifles. Here. Take my life. Take my love. What good are they to me? What have I done with them? My feelings are dying away in vain. Like sunbeams falling into a dark pit. I’m dying.

Sarah: When you talk to me about your love, I just go numb. And I don’t know what to say. Forgive me. I have nothing to say to you. Good night.

Libby: This is just pretty. Pretty wonderful, isn’t it? He just been talking to you about his wasting his life. And you take it that he’s talking to you. He is talking to you about his love, but he’s not directly. What I’m saying is these two people are on two different planes.

Sarah: It’s the second man in 10 minutes who is talking to me about his life wasting away without any awareness of what my situation might be.

Libby: Yes.

Sarah: That’s horrifying.

Libby: Wonderful, Sarah. That’s wonderful. Yes. All right.

Libby: Howard, I’d like you to take the soon it’ll stop raining speech again. I think I may have sent you down the wrong path. If I’m telling you to rush. I’m not telling you to rush. I don’t want you to rush over those words. Ideas.

Sarah: Want me to lead you in again, Howard?

Howard: Sure.

Libby: Okay.

Sarah: You shouldn’t add to the noisy complaining around us. you should be helping to find peace in your own family.

Howard: Help, me find peace in myself. My darling.

Libby: Stop.

Sarah: Go away.

Howard: Soon it’ll stop raining and everything in nature will be refreshed and alive. I alone will not be refreshed by this storm. Day and night I’m strangled by the idea that my life is irrevocably lost. That I’m dead, that I wasted my life, that I spent my life on trifles. Here. Take my life. Take my love. What good are they to me? What have I done with them? My feelings are dying away in vain. Like sunbeams falling into a dark pit. I’m dying.

Sarah: When you talk to me about your love, I just go numb and don’t know what to say.

Sarah: Forgive me. I have nothing to say to you. Good night.

Howard: If you only knew how I suffer from the thought that next to me, in this very house, another life is dying. Yours. What are you waiting for? What damn righteous morality stops you? Don’t you see, Yvonne?

Sarah: Petrovich.

Libby: Petrovich.

Sarah: Petrovich, you are drunk.

Libby: Yeah. That’s really good, you guys. It’s good, Howard.

Howard: Possibly poss. Possibly.

Libby: Oh, no. We can’t just throw that away. We have to go back to. If you only knew how I suffered.

Howard: If you only knew how I suffer from the thought that next to me in this very house, another life is dying. Yours. What are you waiting for? What damned righteous morality stops you?

Sarah: Don’t you see, Ivan Petrovich. Petrovich, you’re drunk.

Howard: Possibly. Possibly.

Sarah: Where’s the doctor?

Howard: He’s here. He’s spending the night. Possibly. Possibly. Everything is possible.

Sarah: Why are you drinking so much?

Howard: Because it makes me feel alive. Don’t try to stop me, Helene.

Sarah: You never used to drink so much. And you never talked so much. Go to sleep. I’m bored to death of you.

Howard: My darling. Beautiful. Marvelous.

Sarah: Leave me alone. This is just disgusting.

Alison: She exits.

Libby: You know, this is interesting. She says you never Used to talk so much. Now Vanya is a talker. he has been since the beginning of the play. what do you think that is? Is it true that he’s talking more? What do you think, Howard? What do you think, Sarah? Anybody?

Sarah: I don’t think he used to talk about his love for me like this.

Libby: No.

Sarah: And I wonder if that’s what she means.

Libby: That’s a good point. That’s a good point.

Sarah: And it’s also possible it’s emotional. when he wasn’t talking about his love for me, it was. It was an amount of talking that I could tolerate because we’re friends. And now because it’s an unbearable topic.

Howard: It is too.

Sarah: Too much to listen to.

Libby: Yes. And he’s not never made a pass at you before, has he, Elena?

Sarah: I don’t know. I don’t know. Is there an answer in the play, or is that a choice that we make?

Libby: It’s a choice.

Sarah: I mean, I definitely think it’s been going on this whole trip. This is certainly not the first night. But I don’t know about, like, previous trips. My choice, unless we change it, is that the passing is this trip so far. This is new for us, moving in, but it’s not the first night that it’s happened.

Libby: Great.

Howard: I wonder.

Libby: No, I was just gonna say in the first act, he certainly tries to get you also, but it’s hotter if it’s all happening this summer, isn’t it?

Sarah: Yeah.

Libby: Howard, I’m sorry. What were you starting to say?

Howard: Yeah, I think just picking up off what you just said, I was wondering is. Is this the first time they’ve spent this much time alone together?

Libby: Right. Good. That’s a great question.

Howard: Like, previous. Previous visits maybe was a little more Shop Around. I, don’t know if that’s the right word, but.

Libby: So you were here. You. You are the farm manager.

Howard: Yeah.

Libby: This is. This is the first time, probably since the beginning of, you know, all your life maybe, that you took off this. You’re taking off this time, and you’re drinking. And, it’s all because everything’s happening this summer. And it’s happening you and outside you. So I have a feeling that you and Yelena have had a very different relationship than what’s happening to you now.

Howard: Yeah. And I wonder if in previous times, the professor was just more present. Could be who I was a little more in awe of. if I wasn’t. I mean, just taking off of. You never talked so much. Maybe it was just because, the professor was There more.

Libby: And I want to. Yes, and I want to also stress that you’re a hard worker. That’s why it’s so hard for Sonya to figure out, what to do about you, because you’re. It’s topsy turvy. You’re not working, you’re not helping. She’s got to do everything. And while she’s a very hard worker, the world is shattering for. And you usually do your jobs. Yeah, I think that’s implied in the play, that it’s off base.

Howard: Okay, so I had a question about, Are the parts possibly. Is it like you’re drunk? And is. Is it like. Like, is it is by saying it over and over, Is it like I can’t get it out? Is it like when you’re drunk and you’re like, over, Possibly. Like, is he trying to say. Say it? I don’t quite know how to play that moment.

Libby: I know exactly what you mean. Is it drunken behavior or is possibly.

Howard: Possibly, like it comes out wrong? Possibly.

Libby: Possibly.

Howard: Possibly.

Libby: Yes. You can definitely try that when we read through. Try that again. Okay, I want to proceed because big speech is coming up now.

Sarah: Can I ask a quick question, Libby?

Libby: Yes, ma’am.

Sarah: About the where’s the doctor? Line.

Libby: Yes.

Sarah: I’m wondering whether this is just an attempt at a distraction or whether this is a. To help with his drunkenness, because I don’t know how common it is for men to be this drunk. I think it’s common to be this. I don’t know. I don’t know.

Libby: They’re drunk. Yes. But, you know, you’re usually in. You’re not up and around a house in which men are getting drunk.

Sarah: Uh-huh. So this is like a health question. Like, let’s find the doctor to sober you up.

Libby: I don’t know. Okay. I don’t know. That is a terrific question to be asking, and that’s something that you have to find. I don’t know the answer to it. I honestly don’t. But it’s a terrific question. Okay, before you get started now on this speech, I’m just a little worried about time. So, I’m pushing ahead a little faster. Howard, I want to point out to you that. And it’s all my fault. I did this. Chekhov did not do this. I’ve put this first part of the speech, the first half of the speech with you talking to her, an image of her rather than just expressing your feelings. Do you understand what I mean? Uh-huh. So you. You’re. You’re the unlucky guy who has to find out how to do that and why you’re doing that.

Howard: Okay.

Libby: Okay.

Howard: It’s usually in the third person, Is that what you’re saying?

Libby: Yes. the way he talks about the professor, it’s usually which is in the third person.

Howard: Right.

Libby: But here he talks directly to her. An image of her.

Howard: I first met you 10 years ago at My Darling Sisters, remember? You were 17 and I was 37. Why didn’t I fall in love with you and propose to you then? It would have been so easy. And today you would be my wife. Yes. Tonight both of us would be awakened by the storm. You would be afraid of the thunder. And I would take you in my arms and whisper, don’t be afraid, little darling. I’m here. Marlowe’s M thoughts. Wonderful. I’m laughing, but my God, I’m so mixed up. Why am I old? Why doesn’t she understand me? The way she talks. Her stupid morality. Her stupid, silly prattling about making peace in the world. I hate it so much. I’ve been deceived. I worshiped that professor. That pathetic, gout ridden idiot. I worked for him like a slave. Sonia and I squeezed every drop out of this estate. We were like kulaks haggling over vegetable oil peas, starving ourselves with crumbs just so we could save a few copics to send to him. I was so proud of him and his glorious scholarship. I lived for him. I breathed for him. Every word he wrote or uttered seemed like genius to me. God. And now, now he’s retired and it has become perfectly clear that the sum total of his life adds up to nothing. Not one word of his, not a single scholarly word matters to anyone. A soap bubble. And I’ve been swindled. I see that now. Stupidly swindled.

Libby: Okay, I’m going to want you to do it all again. Good, good, good. Start on it, Howard. It’s very deep and it’s very rich, isn’t it? I think so. the section, the first section in which you, you know, put her right out there and, you know, imagine leads to. And today you would be my wife. Right? I mean, that’s. I just want you to find that. I want you to let yourself really find an image of her out there for you, whoever her is for you, and really see her and make love to her with this. Find it. And the other thing I wanted to point out is in the pause after. I hate it so much because everything is just crumbling around. This is his big Falling apart speech. We don’t get this from him again until the fourth act when he’s defeated. Defeated. So this is this whole sequence, Howard, is him finding, discovering, secretly talking of his love and his hate. And in that pause is the turnaround from I hate it so much to and oh, how I’ve been deceived. So what I guess I’m asking is we can’t, we won’t get there tonight. But I’d like you to try the whole, whole speech again. And I’d like you to, as you work on it this week, recognize how present it is, how these thoughts are rushing through you and you’re seeing and feeling all of this. I don’t know if I’m saying anything that’s helpful, but this is a nervous breakdown.

Howard: Yeah, she’s gone. I first met you 10 years ago at My Darling Sisters, remember? You were 17 and I was 37. Why didn’t I fall in love with you and propose to you then? It would have been so easy. Today you would be my wife. Yes. Tonight both of us would be awakened by the storm. You would be afraid of the thunder. And I would take you in my arms and whisper. Don’t be afraid, little darling. I’m, here. Marvelous thoughts. How wonderful. I’m laughing. Oh my God. I’m so mixed up. Why am I old? Why doesn’t she understand me? The way she talks. Her stupid morality. Her silly proudly about making peace in the world. I hate it so much. I’ve, been deceived. I worship that professor. I worship that professor. That pathetic, doubt ridden idiot. I worked for him like a slave. Sonia and I squeezed every drop out of this state. we were like kulaks haggling over vegetable oil peas, starving ourselves with crumbs just so we could save a few copics to send to him. I was so proud of him and his glorious scholarship. I lived for him, I breathed for him. Every word he wrote or uttered seemed like genius to me. And now, now he’s retired and it’s become perfectly clear that the sum total of his life adds up to nothing. Not one word of his, not a single scholarly word matters to anyone. A soap bubble. And I’ve been swindled. I see that now. Stupidly swindled.

Alison: Enter Astrov. In a frock coat, without a waistcoat and without a tie. He is tipsy. Behind him is Tiliegin with a guitar.

Alberto: Play.

Julie: Everyone is sleeping, sir.

Alison: Play Tilyagin quietly strums Are you alone here?

Corey: No. Ladies?

Corey: Go to the peasant house. Go to the fire. There is no place for the master to expire. the storm woke me. Big storm. What time is it?

Howard: Who knows?

Corey: I thought I heard Yelena Andrevna’s voice.

Howard: She was just here.

Corey: What a gorgeous woman. Medicines, Drugs. There’s nothing missing. Kharkov, Moscow, Tuskaya. Every city is plagued with his gout.

Libby: So each one of the, medicine, bottles is from a different place. Yes.

Howard: Okay.

Corey: Yes. Okay.

Libby: That’s where the city are coming from.

Corey: Okay, great. Medicines, drugs. There’s nothing missing. Kharkov, Moscow, Tulskaya. Every city is plagued with his gout. Is he really sick or is he faking it?

Howard: Sick.

Corey: Why are you so sad today? Pity for the professor.

Howard: Quit it.

Corey: Or maybe you’re in love with the professor’s wife.

Howard: She’s my friend already. What does that mean, already?

Corey: A, woman can only be friends with a man in this order. First an acquaintance, then a, lover, and then finally a friend.

Libby: Yes, that’s good. Astro, have. Are you aware of your attraction to Yelena by this point?

Corey: Definitely.

Libby: Uh-huh.

Corey: I would. I would say so. I’ve seen her a couple times and I know that I’m definitely interested.

Libby: Yes.

Corey: In her beauty. I don’t know much about her personally yet, but that she’s. Yeah, it is.

Libby: It is wonderful that he is so moved by beauty. Beauty of the forest, beauty of a woman. Yes. I think if we were to continue to work this. It would be important for you to know. Just, you know, you’re teasing Vanya because you recognize that Vanya’s got a crush on her. So the question is, have you yet. Do you discover it when you talk to Sonia in the next scene? When you. When? I, don’t know. I honestly don’t know. But you would need to find that out. Does that make sense to you, Corey?

Corey: Definitely, yes.

Libby: Because I can be moved by beauty. your stepmother would, you know, move me if. Is that a discovery? Or is it here? Or where is this. In this teasing of Vanya?

Corey: I think it’s trying to see if. If he’s like. He’s teasing him because he thinks he’s interested, but it’s like, why is he interested in this woman? Because I know that, like, astronauts, very, very attracted to beautiful things, but he also is attracted to substance as well.

Libby: Yes.

Corey: So I think it’s. It’s trying to discover if there’s more to her.

Libby: Yes. That’s great. Looking for clues. Okay, let’s. Let’s go back on this a little bit.

Howard: do I See his. Attract. Do I see his attraction?

Libby: I don’t know. Do you?

Howard: Or the flirting?

Libby: I don’t think he’s begun to flirt with her yet.

Howard: Okay.

Libby: I’m talking about, Astro. Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know where things are at this point in people’s, You know, we would need to discover that in rehearsal. And you would do lots of thinking about that. But he is teasing you, right?

Howard: No. Yeah. Yeah.

Libby: Okay, so let’s go from, I thought I heard, Yelena Andreevna’s voice. Corey.

Corey: Oh, okay. I thought I heard Yelena Andrea’s voice.

Howard: She was just here.

Corey: What a gorgeous woman. Woman? medicines, drugs, there’s nothing missing. Kharkov, Moscow, Tulskaya. Every city is plagued with his gout. Is he really sick or faking it?

Howard: Sick.

Corey: Why are you so sad today? Pity for the professor.

Howard: Quit it.

Corey: Or maybe you’re in love with the professor’s wife.

Howard: She’s my friend.

Corey: Already.

Howard: What does that mean, already?

Corey: A, man can only be friends with a woman in this. A woman can only be friends with a man in this order. First an acquaintance, then a lover, and then finally a friend.

Howard: Vulgar. Oh.

Corey: Yeah, this is true. I’m becoming vulgar. I’m drunk. Usually I get drunk like this once a month. And when I’m drunk, I get completely vulgar and fearless. Everything seems so easy to me. I take on the most difficult operations and do them brilliantly. I make daring plans for the future. When I’m drunk, I no longer seem like a freak. And I actually believe I’m bringing some enormous benefit to humanity. Enormous. And when I’m drunk, I see how valuable my own personal universe is. And the rest of you piddling creatures seem like insects, microbes, waffles.

Julie: Play, dear one, I would love to play for you with all my soul, but understand, everyone is sleeping.

Alison: Play, Talia again. Quietly strums.

Corey: You need a drink.

Libby: Oh,

Corey: Oh, yeah. I see there’s some cognac left. In the morning, we’ll go to my place, right, Char? I have a medical assistant who never says right, but right. Shar88.

Alison: Seeing Sonja enter.

Corey: pardon me, I forgot my tie.

Alison: Quickly, he exits. Tully again follows.

Deidre: And you, Uncle Vanya, you got drunk again with the doctor? A couple of juveniles hanging around together. Well, he has always been like that. But what in heaven’s name is wrong with you? At your age, you should know better.

Howard: Age has nothing to do with it. When you don’t have a life, you live on soap bubbles. It’s better than nothing.

Deidre: Our hay needs to be cut. It rains every day. Everything is rotting. And all you talk about is soap bubbles. You’re completely neglecting the farm. I have to work alone. I’m strained to the breaking point.

Deidre: Uncle, you have tears in your eyes.

Howard: Tears? It’s nothing. Nonsense. The way you looked at me just now. Just like your mother.

Alison: Sweet, greedily kisses her hands and face.

Howard: My sister. My sweet, dear sister. Where is she now? If only she knew. If only she knew what?

Deidre: Uncle?

Libby: What?

Howard: It’s so hard. Nothing. Later. Nothing. I’m going.

Alison: He exits.

Libby: Yeah. that ends our scene. I would love to try to, run it all together now. Just give this nearly as much attention as I wanted to. It’s Copex, Howard, not Copex.

Howard: Oh, okay. Copex. Uh-huh.

Libby: Yeah. Corey, where does the right jar come from? The first time you say it, I think.

Corey: I think it’s like. Because I feel like I play with him, my, medical assistant. Like, we’re friends, we have fun, we drink together and we have a good time. So I say it too, but.

Libby: Okay, that’s great. I just didn’t. It’s. I didn’t know where it came from.

Corey: Okay, I’ll try that.

Libby: Okay. Howard, you know this last time when you said soap bubbles, that was wonderful. Because that image of soap bubble with a P and a V, is so unlike Vanya. He would never describe his life as a soap bubble. Unless. Do you know what I’m saying? Just the words alone M happen for him. And let me just tell you, in general, you’re not picking up your cue. And that’s the danger in Chekhov, when he says pause, he means pause. Yes, but cues are really important to build these sequences. So just in general, pick up the cues. Okay. All right. There’s just so much to say, but we’re not going to say it now. Let’s run the scene.

Nathan Agin: Libby, do you mind if I jump in? I’m sorry to interrupt.

Alberto: I just had.

Nathan Agin: I wanted to suggest something, and this is totally, your. Your call.

Howard: But,

Nathan Agin: And some of the actors might be familiar with this, this kind of going off stage by turning off their cameras. If you prefer to have everybody on, you know, in full view the whole time.

Libby: Yeah, but, I’m so unpracticed with. That’s okay on zoom. So that’s.

Nathan Agin: That’s why I’m here.

Libby: I never thought about that.

Nathan Agin: So. So, yeah, people can kind of can turn off their camera. Like, for example, If I. Now I’m off stage, you know, for you to hear me. But like. And then before I come on for my scene, I turn on my camera and here I. Here I go. So you can. You can use that for this next run through. And if you’d like. but there’s. Again, there’s. You don’t have to do it. It’s just kind of what you would like.

Libby: I. I see what you mean. What do you guys think? I’m sure you have more experience with this than me.

Deidre: Let’s try it.

Julie: I like it. Yeah, let’s try it.

Libby: Don’t come on late for your entrances, so that you’ll have to figure out. Okay, I’m going off. Let’s go.

Alison: Act two, the dining room in Sarah Bikoff’s home.

Libby: Yes, we read Alison. Yes, yes. Stay off camera and, only give, like this opening stage directions. Great.

Alison: And none of the others.

Libby: Right.

Alison: Awesome.

Alberto: Cool.

Alison: Act two, the dining room and Sarah Berkov’s home. Night in the garden. The watchman can be heard tapping. Sarabukhov sits in an armchair before an open window and dozes. And Yelena Andreevna sits beside him and also dozes.

Alberto: Who’s there? Sonia, is that you?

Sarah: I’m here.

Alberto: You. The pain is unbearable.

Libby: Here.

Sarah: Your blankets fell. I’ll shut the window.

Alberto: No, I’m, Suffocating. I was just nodding off and I dreamt that my left leg was attached to someone else. I woke up with such excruciating pain. No, this is not gout. Probably rheumatism. What time is it?

Sarah: 20 minutes past 12.

Alberto: In the morning. Go look for Batyushkov in the library. I’m sure we have him. What look for but Yushkov in the morning? I seem to recall we have him. Why can’t I breathe?

Sarah: You’re tired. This is the second night you haven’t slept.

Alberto: They say Turgenev developed angina pectoris. Pectoral stories from gout. I’m afraid I’m getting it too. Turned disgusting. Old age. The devil take it. Now that I’m old, I can’t stand looking at myself. And I’m sure all of you must be repulsed by me too.

Sarah: You make it sound as if it’s our fault you got old.

Alberto: But I’m most disgusting to you. Of course, you’re right. I’m not stupid. I understand. You’re young, healthy, beautiful. You want to live. And I’m an old man, almost a corpse. True, I understand all too well. And of course it’s a terrible Crime. I have lived this long. But wait a little. Soon you’ll be free of me. I, won’t last much longer.

Sarah: I’m exhausted. For God’s sakes, just be quiet.

Alberto: Yes, everyone is exhausted. All because of me. They’re bored. They’re wasting their time. They’re wasting their youth. I’m the only one who’s happy. I’m the only one having a good time. Well, yes, of, Course.

Sarah: Be quiet. You have worn me out.

Alberto: Yes, I have worn everyone out. Of course.

Sarah: This is unbearable. Tell me what you want from me.

Alberto: Nothing.

Sarah: Well, then be quiet, I beg you.

Alberto: It’s so strange. Ivan Petrovich talks his head off, or that old idiot Maria, Vasilyevna. And it’s just fine. Everyone listens. But when I say one word, everyone suddenly feels isolate. Even my voice is offensive. Well, let’s assume I am offensive. I’m an egoist. I’m a despot. Don’t I have the right to be an egoist in my old age? Think about it. Haven’t I earned it? I ask you, don’t I have the right to a comfortable old age, surrounded by my admirers?

Sarah: No one is taking away your rights. It’s very windy. I’ll close the window. It’ll rain soon. No one is taking away your rights.

Alberto: All one’s life to be dedicated to scholarship, to become accustomed to one’s study, to the classroom, to respected colleagues. And suddenly, for no apparent reason, To find oneself buried in this tomb. Every day to deal with stupid people, to listen to insignificant chatter. I want to live. I love success. I love fame. I love action. But here I’m in exile. Every minute I’m longing for the. The past, watching the success of others, fearing death. I cannot. I don’t have the strength. And no one can forgive me for being old.

Sarah: Wait a little. Have patience. In five or six years, I’ll be old too.

Deidre: Papa, you sent for Dr. Astroff, but when he came, you refused to see him. That’s so rude. You bothered this man.

Alberto: Why do I need your Astroff? He understands about as much about medicine as I do astronomy.

Deidre: Well, we cannot send for the entire medical faculty just for your gouts.

Alberto: I don’t want to talk to that idiot.

Deidre: As you wish. It’s all the same to me.

Alberto: What time is it?

Sarah: Almost one.

Alberto: It’s stifling. Sonia, give me the drops on the table.

Deidre: Yes, of course.

Alberto: Not these. I, can’t ask for anything.

Deidre: Please, stop acting like a baby. It may be fine for others, but spare me Please. I don’t like it. I don’t have time. I need to get up early tomorrow. I have the hay to mow.

Howard: No. The storm’s coming. Here we go. Elaine and Sonya, go to sleep. I came to relieve you.

Alberto: No, no. Don’t leave me with him. No. He’ll talk my head off.

Howard: But they’ve got to get some rest. They didn’t sleep at all last night.

Alberto: Let them go to sleep. But you go too. Thank you. I implore you in the name of our former friendship. Just go.

Howard: Our, former friendship?

Libby: Former.

Deidre: Be quiet, Uncle Vanya.

Alberto: I do. Don’t leave me with him. You’ll talk my head off.

Howard: Can you believe how ludicrous this is?

Deidre: You ought to go to bed, Nanya. It’s very late.

Julie: Samovar is still boiling. You can’t exactly expect me to go to bed.

Alberto: No one is sleeping. Everybody is exhausted. I alone am in a state of bliss.

Libby: Oh.

Julie: What is it, my dear? Are you in pain? My legs ache too. The ache. So you’ve been in pain a long time. Vera Petrovna, Sonyachika’s mother, may she rest in peace, never slept either. She nearly killed herself taking care of you. She loved you very much. Oh, yes. Old people are like children. They want someone to feel sorry for them. But no one feels sorry for the old. Let’s go to bed, my dear. Let’s go, my little boy. I’ll make you some limelife tea. Lime leaf tea. I’ll, warm m your legs. I’ll pray to God for you.

Alberto: Lets go, Marina.

Julie: My legs ache too. Ache? So Evara Petrovna nearly killed herself. Always crying. You, Sonietchka, were little then. Still little then. Come, come, my dear.

Sarah: I’m completely exhausted with him. I can barely stand on my feet.

Howard: You’re exhausted with him, and I with myself. This is the third night I haven’t slept.

Sarah: Something is wrong, in this house. Your mother hates everything except her own pamphlet from the professor. The professor is irritated. He doesn’t trust me. He’s afraid of you. Sonia is angry with her father, angry with me, and hasn’t talked to me in two weeks. You hate my husband and openly hold your own mother in contempt. I am short tempered, and at least 20 times today I started to cry. There is something very wrong in this house.

Howard: Shall we cut the philosophy, please?

Sarah: You, Ivan Petrovitch, are educated, intelligent, and you must see the world is not being destroyed by thieves and fires and wars, but rather by hatred, hostility. From all these petty squabbles. You shouldn’t add to the noisy and complaining about us. You should be helping us find peace in your own family.

Howard: Help me find peace in myself, my darling.

Libby: Stop.

Sarah: Go away.

Howard: Soon it’ll be raining and everything in nature will be refreshed and alive. I alone will not be refreshed by the storm. Day and night I’m strangled by the idea that my life is irrevocably lost, that I’m dead, that I wasted my life, that I spent my life on trifles. Here, take my life, Take my love. What good are they to me? What have I done with them? My feelings are dying away in vain. Like sunbeams falling into a dark pit. I’m dying.

Sarah: When you talk to me about your love, I just go numb inside. And I don’t know what to say. Forgive me. I have nothing to say to you. Good night.

Howard: If you only knew how I suffer from the thought that next to me in this very house, another life is dying. Yours. What are you waiting for? What damn righteous morality stops you?

Sarah: Don’t you see, Ivan Petrovich? You’re drunk.

Howard: Possibly. Possibly.

Sarah: Where’s the doctor?

Howard: He’s here. He’s spending the night. Possibly, Possibly. Everything is possible.

Sarah: Why are, ah, you drinking so much?

Howard: Because it makes me feel alive. Don’t try to stop me.

Sarah: Never used to work. You never used to drink so much. And you never talked so much. Go to sleep. I’m, bored to death of you.

Howard: My darling. Beautiful, Marvelous.

Sarah: Leave me alone. This is just disgusting.

Howard: She’s gone. I first met you ten years ago at, My darling sisters, remember? You were 17 and I was 37. Why didn’t I fall in love with you and propose to you then? It would have been so easy. And today you would be my wife. Yes. Tonight both of us would be awakened by the storm. You would be afraid of the thunder. And I would take you in my arms and whisper. Don’t be afraid, little darling, I’m here. What marvelous thought. Hearts. How wonderful. I’m laughing, but my God, I’m so mixed up. Why am I old? Why doesn’t she understand me? The way she talks. Her stupid morality. Her silly prattling about making peace in the world. I hate it so much. I’ve been deceived. I worship that professor. That pathetic, doubt ridden idiot. I worked for him like a slave. Sonia and I squeezed every drop out of this estate. We were like kulaks, haggling over vegetable oil peas, starving ourselves with crumbs just so we could save a few kopecks to send to him. I was so proud of him and his glorious scholarship. I lived for him. I breathed for him. Every word he wrote or uttered seemed like genius to me now.

Libby: How?

Howard: Now he’s retired, and it has become perfectly clear that the sum total of his life adds up to nothing. Not one word of his, not a single scholarly word, matters to anyone. A soap bubble. I’ve been swindled. I see that now. Stupidly swindled.

Libby: Play.

Julie: Everyone is sleeping, sir.

Corey: Play. Are you alone here? No. Ladies, go to the peasant house. Go to the fire. There is no place for the master to expire. The storm woke me. Big storm. What time is it?

Howard: Who knows?

Corey: I thought I heard Yelena Andreyevna’s voice.

Howard: She was just here.

Corey: What a gorgeous woman. Medicines, Drugs. There’s nothing missing. Kharkov, Moscow, Tulskaya. Every city is plagued with his gout. Is he really sick, or is he faking it?

Howard: Sick, huh?

Corey: Why are you so sad today? Pity for the professor.

Howard: Quit it.

Corey: Or maybe you’re in love with the professor’s wife.

Howard: She’s my friend.

Corey: Already.

Howard: What does that mean, already?

Corey: A woman can only be friends with a man. In this order. First an acquaintance, then a lover, and then finally. A friend.

Howard: Vulgar.

Corey: Oh, yes, it’s true. I’m becoming vulgar. I’m drunk. Usually. I get drunk like this once a month. And when I’m drunk, I get completely vulgar and fearless. Everything seems so easy to me. I take on the most difficult operations and do them brilliantly. I make daring plans for the future. When I’m drunk, I no longer seem like a freak. And I actually believe I’m bringing some enormous benefit to humanity. Enormous. And when I’m drunk, I see how valuable my own personal universe is. And the rest of you piddling creatures seem like insects, microbes, waffles.

Libby: Play.

Julie: Dear one, I would love to play for you with all my soul. But understand, everyone is sleeping.

Corey: Play. You need a drink.

Alberto: Oh.

Corey: Oh, I see there’s some cognac left. In the morning, we’ll go to my place, right? I have a medical assistant who never says right, but right. Sure.

Howard: Idiot.

Corey: Right jar. Oh, pardon me. I forgot my tie.

Deidre: And you, Uncle Vanya, you got drunk again with the doctor. A couple of juveniles hanging around together. Well, he’s always been like that. But what in heaven’s name is wrong with you? At your age, you should know better.

Howard: Age has nothing to do with it. When you don’t have a life, you live on soap bubbles. It’s better than nothing.

Deidre: Our, hay needs to be Cut. It rains every day. Everything is rotting, and all you can talk about is soap bubbles. You’re completely neglecting the farm. I have to work alone. I. I’m strained to the breaking point. Uncle, you have tears in your eyes.

Howard: Tears? There’s nothing. Nonsense. The way you looked at me just now. Just like your mother. My sweet. My sister. Sweet, dear sister. Where is she now? If only she knew. Oh, If only she knew.

Deidre: Knew what, Uncle?

Libby: What.

Howard: So hard? Nothing. later. Nothing. I’m going.

Libby: Great. Really good. Really good. Corey, can you. Can you. When you go to black, when you take off your video, is there a way that you don’t have to have your, picture?

Corey: Yes, yes. I tried to change it right now, but I’m gonna have to go into the settings.

Libby: Oh, no, you can do it for next week. That would be great.

Corey: Of course.

Libby: Thanks for the suggestion, Nathan. That was a very good idea. I’d never be thinking about that right now.

Nathan Agin: You’re welcome, Libby. And actually, what. What you may. Libby, what you may have turned on is there’s a zoom setting where you can hide what is called non video participants. And, you and I can walk through that if we need to. But essentially, you don’t see all the blank black boxes. You only see the picture of the people on screen.

Libby: Yeah. What you mean? Well, do I have to manipulate that?

Nathan Agin: Yeah, please. I think. I think if.

Howard: Let’s see. What is it?

Nathan Agin: Oh, here, I’ll go. I’ll go off camera. I’ll go off camera. And then if you let me just.

Libby: Give them a cup.

Alberto: Just.

Nathan Agin: Yeah, sorry, sorry, sorry. Go ahead.

Libby: it was very good reading today, everybody. You’re really at a good place. I wish we would continue forever. Vanya. Here. Take my love, Take my life. You’re rushing through that. I know it’s part of a build, Howard, but I don’t want you to lose. You’re. You’re offering everything to her, and you mean it in that moment. No. Ladies, you, know, he purposely kind of. Anybody here? Peek a boo kind of thing. Yeah.

Howard: Okay.

Libby: Yeah. Are there any girls around? piddling creatures leading up to that? Corey, I want you to look at that speech this week. I’m so sorry we don’t have time to look it through, but, I want you to see that imagery and see where it takes it. Not throw so much of that away.

Corey: Okay.

Libby: What happens to you when you have power in you because you drink vodka?

Corey: Oh, I see. Okay. Like, almost a God complex.

Libby: Yeah. And those moments my God. You see the world. Yes. Okay, take a look at that and see where it goes in that. Very, very well done, everybody. okay, Nathan, great, great work.

Nathan Agin: it’s just so much enjoy. It’s so enjoyable. Not only the scene, which is coming along very nicely, but just. Just to listen to the discussion. And I so appreciate and enjoy everybody’s, involvement and commitment to that part of it as well. It’s really paying off quite nicely. So thank you all for being part of this.

Libby: Yes, thank you. All is right.

Corey: Thank you, everybody.

Nathan Agin: Great, great work.

Alberto: Bye.

Sarah: great work, everyone.