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In a world where we can be entertained at home at the click of a button, why make an effort to go to the theater at all? What are the requisites for a performance to be worthy of attention? What does it take for a play to be good; to be worth the time, money, and effort we put into attending?  Many would agree that performers must be committed to their work and that the piece should reveal some universal truth.  Some may feel a play should have a moral; that it should teach, inform, inspire, or enlighten. Should the stage reflect life as it is—or as we would like it to be?

Viewed in this context, what value does The Seagull have for a modern audience? Why Chekhov? Why now? Why at Montclair? Is our purpose purely educational—to hone the actors’ skills, to give students exposure to classic theater?  Is there something about the piece that speaks to our time and place politically, socially, morally, psychologically?  Read more »