This is the first cross-cultural study of Chekhov's plays in production.
Many now consider Chekhov a playwright equal to Shakespeare, and this
book studies how the reputation evolved, and how the presentation of his
plays varied and altered from their initial productions in Russia to the
most recent postmodern deconstructions of them. Particular attention is
given to the staging of Chekhov in Russia before and after the
Revolution, and under different regimes; in the English-speaking world,
in Western and Eastern Europe, as well as in Japan.