The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sea-Gull, by Anton Checkov

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Title: The Sea-Gull

Author: Anton Checkov

Release Date: February 21, 2006 [EBook #1754]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEA-GULL ***

Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer and David Widger

THE SEA-GULL

by Anton Checkov

A Play In Four Acts

CHARACTERS

IRINA ABKADINA, an actress

CONSTANTINE TREPLIEFF, her son

PETER SORIN, her brother

NINA ZARIETCHNAYA, a young girl, the daughter of a rich landowner

ILIA SHAMRAEFF, the manager of SORIN'S estate

PAULINA, his wife

MASHA, their daughter

BORIS TRIGORIN, an author

EUGENE DORN, a doctor

SIMON MEDVIEDENKO, a schoolmaster

JACOB, a workman

A COOK

A MAIDSERVANT

_The scene is laid on SORIN'S estate. Two years elapse between the third
and fourth acts_.

THE SEA-GULL

ACT I

_The scene is laid in the park on SORIN'S estate. A broad avenue of
trees leads away from the audience toward a lake which lies lost in
the depths of the park. The avenue is obstructed by a rough stage,
temporarily erected for the performance of amateur theatricals, and
which screens the lake from view. There is a dense growth of bushes to
the left and right of the stage. A few chairs and a little table are
placed in front of the stage. The sun has just set. JACOB and some other
workmen are heard hammering and coughing on the stage behind the lowered
curtain_.

MASHA and MEDVIEDENKO come in from the left, returning from a walk.

MEDVIEDENKO. Why do you always wear mourning?

MASHA. I dress in black to match my life. I am unhappy.

MEDVIEDENKO. Why should you be unhappy? [Thinking it over] I don't
understand it. You are healthy, and though your father is not rich, he
has a good competency. My life is far harder than yours. I only have
twenty-three roubles a month to live on, but I don't wear mourning.
[They sit down].

MASHA. Happiness does not depend on riches; poor men are often happy.

MEDVIEDENKO. In theory, yes, but not in reality. Take my case, for
instance; my mother, my two sisters, my little brother and I must all
live somehow on