April 9, 2010
Contact Rick Walters at 608-796-3793 or rhwalters@viterbo.edu
VITERBO UNIVERSITY TO PRESENT THE THREE SISTERS APRIL 23–24, APRIL 29–MAY 2
LA CROSSE, Wis. – Viterbo University theatre students will perform Anton Chekhov’s classic play The Three Sisters Friday, April 23–Saturday April 24 and Thursday, April 29–Sunday, May 2 in the Fine Arts Center La Croix Black Box Theatre.
Trapped in a provincial town after the death of their father, three sisters long for better times and the excitement of Moscow. This masterpiece examines the tiny sorrows and triumphs that define a life as it follows the Prozorov family, three sisters and their brother, who are dissatisfied and frustrated with their present existence.
“The writing is brilliant, and audiences will see themselves in the characters,” said Rick Walters, chair of the Viterbo theatre department and director of this production. “It also features really strong roles for women, and all the roles and material is great for professional actor training.”
Written in 1901, The Three Sisters is widely considered one of the great plays of the 20th century. In a broader context, the play reflects on the decline of the privileged class in Russia and the search for meaning in the modern world. Today’s audiences will also be able to closely relate to the characters, Walters said.
“One theme of the play is the hopes, dreams, and ambitions that sometimes go unrealized,” Walters said. “That’s something with which most people can identify.”
The characters in the play “often demonstrate how humor is used to cope with circumstances in life that are not what you want them to be,” he said. “I think it is a very hopeful play.”
Tickets are $10 for general admission seating. For more information, contact the Viterbo box office at 608-796-3100 or boxoffice@viterbo.edu.