Literature Network » Anton Chekhov

'Brute' reveals Chekhov's lighter side.

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From: Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
Date: 20070911
Author:

Byline: Pat Craig

Sep. 11--Words such as "farce," "funny" or "silly" are rarely contained in the same sentence that mentions Anton Chekhov.

Yet, early works by the Russian master of drama prove he was also a pioneer in sketch comedy, writing short pieces in the late 19th century that established many of the still-followed rules for short-form comedy.

All the proof you need is onstage now at Walnut Creek's Playhouse West, which is celebrating the grand reopening of its old Locust Street digs with four Chekhov farces from the mid- to late 1880s.

The language, ...

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