Journal #1: By Quinn Gasaway

I’m in the Acting IV class this semester, which is the hailed Chekhov class taught by the one and only D. Lance Marsh. I had basically no exposure to Chekhov before this class, other than hearing some crass jokes about how boring and pompous he was. I caught wind that the department might be putting on Three Sisters next year, so I decided I would read it. Upon reading it, I was flabbergasted that this play was known as a comedy. I couldn’t see the humor in it. It was intriguing for the depth of the relationships, but I just didn’t see the splendor of it. Then, in my first day of class with Lance, I asked him how all these somber sops could possibly be funny. He proceeded to get a girl in the class to stand in front of the group and say “I’m alone. I’m lonely. I want somebody to love. Why is there no one for me?” Once again, I didn’t find this funny. Then he called me up and had the two of us stand back to back. We recited the four lines together, and all of sudden, the class erupted into laughter. It was because they could all see that the person we needed was right there, we just couldn’t see it. This exercise was a simplified version of the dramatic irony that Chekhov employs. After this, my entire outlook changed, and I found that by playing the tragic scenes in earnest, the comedy just came out. Layering on the costumes and the period movement only added to this, as the people in this period were so concerned with their outward appearance that they completely internalized what they were truly feeling.
My scene is from Uncle Vanya, and I’m happy to say that I am pumped about it. My partner had the scene recommended to her by Lance, so I was scared that my character, Astrov, wouldn’t be that good for me. On the contrary, after reading the play I found a delightful sorrow in the character that drove him to alcoholism and solitude, something I’m familiar with… through literature. He is a doctor who is living with the central family to care for the ailing patriarch, who seems more interested in dying than getting treatment. I’ve always been intrigued by the notion of an altruist trying to appeal to someone who doesn’t want to be helped. It’s an interesting acting challenge to try and play this. Astrov is a character that is highly respected by everyone but himself, for while all this drama is occurring within the realm of his practice, his true passion is forestry and wildlife, a hobby that earns him mostly ridicule. This depth of character is something that you rarely see in contemporary theater, so I’m thrilled beyond words to be getting the chance to play this character, a 40 something that I won’t be playing till I get a few more gray whiskers.