From May 3 to May 6, CNY Shakespeare will present Anton Chekhov’s “The Three Sisters,” directed and adapted by Matt Chiorini. The project, a one-hour adaptation of the 1901 play, was conceived by seniors Lauren Pisano, Jordan McCartney and Jenna Crofoot.
“The idea came out of a night at Tully’s,” Pisano said. “We wanted one last project that we could do ourselves and would give us the opportunity to work with other people and each other. We thought, ‘this is it, we’re graduating. Let’s have one last hurrah before we leave.’”
Chiorini, who considers Chekhov to be his favorite author, recommended a cut of “The Three Sisters” that he had been working on.
“It’s one of my favorite scripts,” Chiorini said. “And the three of them [Pisano, McCartney and Crofoot] are perfectly cast as the sisters. They share key characteristics with the roles and they always look and act like sisters in real life.
“This also gives me an opportunity to share everything I love about Chekhov,” he continued. “I’ve seen it on stage a lot, but his sense of humor doesn’t come through. It’s usually brooding, moody and very slow, which is unfortunate, because he has such amazing plays.”
Chiorini’s version of the show focuses primarily on the titular siblings.
“The show is about the lives of these three sisters,” McCartney said. “They don’t appreciate what they have in their own lives. All they have is each other.”
“It’s relatable to each one of us,” Pisano added. “The girls all have dreams and goals they’re trying to achieve and the biggest obstacle is themselves.”
Though the performances are presented by CNY Shakespeare, Pisano, a communications major, notes that she, McCartney and Crofoot did much of the work on the show themselves.
“We first talked about it at the end of last semester and we started working on it in January, coming up with ideas and making it fit in everyone’s schedule,” Pisano said. “We took care of casting, scheduling, advertising, sets, props, etc.”
That being said, the three received plenty of help from both past and present theater regulars.
“In addition to current students, the show also features faculty and alumni,” Pisano explained. “It’s a cool dynamic to have in a college show.
“It’s been great to see it all come together,” she continued. “Everyone’s been so helpful. I can’t think Matt, the cast and the crew enough for taking time out to make this happen.”
Pisano, McCartney and Crofoot hope the show will serve as a year-end crowd-pleaser.
“It’s a really timeless piece of theater,” Pisano said. “I hope people can relate to the characters and situations.”
“This production has no specific time period, so we hope audiences will be able to take the show’s morals and themes and apply them to everyday life,” McCartney noted. “It’s like a Russian mini-soap opera…with lots of vodka.”
“The Three Sisters” will take place Thursday, May 3, and Friday, May 4, at 7 p.m. along with a matinee on Sunday, May 6 at 2 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are free. To make reservations, visit the PAC office or call (315) 445-4523.
