This spring's cycle will consist of SEVEN classes on Tuesdays or Thursdays organized around RICHARD II (Shakespeare Tuesdays) or THREE SISTERS (Chekhov Thursdays).
The free sample classes will be given at Shetler Studios, 244 W. 54th Street, on Tuesday, February 20th and Thursday February 22nd, in room 1200. The regular cycle of seven (7) classes will be given at my beautiful studio at 444 Central Park West, because we won't need Shetler's muscular 2000HP air-conditioning, which causes all the summer students to wear parkas to class.
RICHARD II is apparently from the same year as ROMEO AND JULIET and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. It was apparently very popular: it went through five quarto editions before being published in the Folio. Cheap quarto editions were frequently published to make extra money by taking advantage of a play's popularity, so you can judge for yourself how the play was received.
The only advance information you need for [THE] THREE SISTERS is to know that the basis for the play is the Russian folktale Maria Morevna, which is also known as Tsarevna Maria, The Death of Koschei the Deathless, and by other titles. One version of the story begins: "Once upon a time there was a certain prince, named Ivan, who had three sisters: Maria, Olga, and Anna." In Chekhov's version the prince is named Andrei, and his sisters are named Maria, Olga and Irina. The folktale has a happy ending; unfortunately THREE SISTERS doesn't turn out to be a comedy, although it has some fine comic episodes.
TUESDAY 7-10PM
RICHARD II
444 CPW
THURSDAY 7-10PM
THREE SISTERS
444 CPW
March 6
March 8
March 13
March 15
March 20
March 22
March 27
March 29
April 3
April 5
April 10
April 12
April 17
April 19
The first night of Passover is Friday, March 30, and Easter is on April 1.