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By
Jenny Enarsson
Three
Sisters begins with Irina Prozorova's name-day celebration, in the
provincial Russian town where their late military father had been
stationed. Irina and her sisters Olga and Masha make half-hearted
attempts to put up with life in their adopted home, but cannot -
will not? - stop longing for their birth town Moscow.
Olga,
a teacher, is the reliable and responsible one, working all hours
of the day. Masha is stuck in a marriage to a man she despises.
Irina is desperate to get out of the house and find a job - and
the freedom and sense of purpose she hopes will come with it - in
the outside world.
The
name-day festivities fill the house with old and new acquaintances,
forming a group which we then follow over three and a half years.
We can see the power dynamics within the group change back and forth
with different turns of events. We get to watch up close as life
teaches the sisters some hard lessons, as they are forced to let
go of high-flying dreams, leave the na茂vet茅 of childhood
behind, and compromise their desires.
Lasting
around three hours the play is definitely too long, but it is nicely
directed and well acted by everyone involved. Sheila McKean and
Don Fathers both fill their roles with intelligent unassuming humour
and a lot of heart. Chip Horne grows on the audience as the initially
annoying and subsequently more complex and likeable Kulygin.
Through
all their sorrow and misfortune, the three sisters somehow manage
not to lose sight of hope - even when it is the single thing they
have left. And so somehow this drama, so filled with misery, manages
to convey a sense that anything can happen and we never know what
is around the corner.
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