The Real Ivanov tickets

An early play by Chekhov about depression, seems like it should have been interesting, but was not clear what was really wrong with the main character. Very amateurish, I would say, poor job, acting by the actress who played the wife and the actor who played the doctor.

Not knowing much about Chekhov, I was drawn by the concept of a comedy about despair. This darkness of this one makes it a struggle to find the comedy, though it does bubble up and sometimes quite effective. I applaud the efforts and clever direction and lighting for certain scenes creating the feel of being closed in on an otherwise spare set. Some of the performers were excellent, while others struggled in their roles which became a bit distracting. Due to being a small space and performed in the round, some dialogue was difficult to understand when spoken too quickly or unclearly. I recommend for those interested in something a bit more experimental, and not put off or triggered by deep depression. An interesting 100min that isn't for everyone.

PRO - Strausfeld's fleet adapt of Chekhov's first (uneven) attempt at playwrighting has an energy & robustness that helps to negate some of the author's woodenness As Ivanov, Underwood works hard at challenging the character's repetitive nature CON - Much of the remaining ensemble is either miscast or underused