Anton Chekhov - Ivanov

Ivanov

Anton Chekhov, Russian dramatist and short-story writer, was born in 1860, the son of a grocer and the grandson of a serf. After graduating in medicine from Moscow University in 1884, he began to make his name in the theatre with the one-act comedies The Bear, The Proposal and The Wedding. His earliest full-length plays, Ivanov (1887) and The Wood Demon (1889), were not successful, and The Seagull, produced in 1896, was a failure until a triumphant revival by the Moscow Art Theatre in 1898. This was followed by Uncle Vanya (1899), Three Sisters (1901) and The Cherry Orchard (1904), shortly after the production of which Chekhov died. The first English translations of his plays were performed within five years of his death.

Tom Stoppard has made English versions of The Seagull (1997) and The Cherry Orchard (2009). His other translations and adaptations include The House of Bernarda Alba (Lorca), Undiscovered Country and Dalliance (Schnitzler), On the Razzle (Nestroy), Rough Crossing (Molnr), Largo Desolato (Havel), Heroes (Sibleyras) and Henry IV (Pirandello).

Plays

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead *

Enter a Free Man * The Real Inspector Hound *

After Magritte * Jumpers * Travesties *

Dirty Linen and New-Found-Land *

Every Good Boy Deserves Favour *

Night and Day Doggs Hamlet, Cahoots Macbeth *

Undiscovered Country

(adapted from Arthur Schnitzlers Das weite Land )

On the Razzle

(adapted from Johann Nestroys Einen Jux will er sich machen )

The Real Thing Rough Crossing

(adapted from Ferenc Molnrs Play at the Castle )

Dalliance (adapted from Arthur Schnitzlers Liebelei )

Hapgood Arcadia

Indian Ink (an adaptation of In the Native State )

The Invention of Love * Voyage: The Coast of Utopia Part I *

Shipwreck: The Coast of Utopia Part II *

Salvage: The Coast of Utopia Part III *

Rock n Roll *

Television Scripts

A Separate Peace Teeth Another Moon Called Earth

Neutral Ground Professional Foul Squaring the Circle

Radio Plays

The Dissolution of Dominic Boot

M Is for Moon Among Other Things

If Youre Glad, Ill Be Frank Alberts Bridge

Where Are They Now? Artist Descending a Staircase

The Dog It Was That Died In the Native State

On Dover Beach

Screenplays

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Shakespeare in Love (with Marc Norman)

Fiction

Lord Malquist and Mr. Moon*

*Available from Grove Press

ANTON CHEKHOV

Ivanov

in a new English version by

TOM STOPPARD

based on a literal translation by Helen Rappaport

Grove Press

New York

Adapation copyright 2008 by Tom Stoppard

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, or the facilitation thereof, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Any members of educational institutions wishing to photocopy part or all of the work for classroom use, or publishers who would like to obtain permission to include the work in an anthology, should send their inquiries to Grove/Atlantic, Inc., 841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003.

CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that Ivanov is subject to a royalty. It is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and all British Commonwealth countries, and all countries covered by the International Copyright Union, the Pan-American Copyright Convention, and the Universal Copyright Convention. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, recitation, public reading, radio broadcasting, television, video or sound taping, all other forms of mechanical or electronic reproduction, such as information storage and retrieval systems and photocopying, and rights of translation into foreign languages, are strictly reserved.

First-class professional, stock, and amateur applications for permission to perform it, and those other rights stated above, for Ivanov must be made in advance to the authors agent, United Agents Ltd., 12-26 Lexington Street, London, W1F 0LE, Attn: Rose Cobbe.

First published in 2008 in Great Britain by Faber and Faber Limited

ISBN: 978-0-8021-4408-9

eISBN: 978-0-8021-9102-1

Printed in the United States of America

Grove Press

an imprint of Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

841 Broadway

New York, NY 10003

Distributed by Publishers Group West

www.groveatlantic.com

09 10 11 12 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Ivanov in this version was first presented by the Donmar Warehouse at the Wyndhams Theatre, London, on 12 September 2008. The cast, in order of appearance, was as follows:

Ivanov Kenneth Branagh

Borkin Lorcan Cranitch

Shabelsky Malcolm Sinclair

Anna Petrovna Gina McKee

Lvov Tom Hiddleston

Zinaida Sylvestra Le Touzel

Kosykh James Tucker

Avdotya Linda Broughton

Yegorushka John Atterbury

Anasim Ian Drysdale

Natalia Emma Beattie

Yacob Malcolm Ridley

Nikander James Howard

Gavrila Jonathan Battersby

Lipa Giovanna Falcone

Babakina Lucy Briers

Lebedev Kevin R. McNally

Sasha Andrea Riseborough

Pyotr John Atterbury

Director Michael Grandage

Set and Costume Designer Christopher Oram

Lighting Designer Paule Constable

Composer and Sound Designer Adam Cork

Characters

Nikolay Ivanov,

landowner and regional councillor

Anna Petrovna, his wife

Count Matvey Shabelsky, his maternal uncle

Mikhail Borkin, his estate manager

Yevgeny Lvov, a young doctor

Pyotr, Ivanovs servant

At the Lebedevs

Pavel Lebedev, a wealthy neighbour

Zinaida, his wife

Sasha, their daughter

Marfa Babakina, a wealthy young widow

Dmitry Kosykh, an excise officer

Avdotya Nazarovna, an old woman

Yegorushka, a dependent

Gavrila, a servant

First Guest

Second Guest

Third Guest

Fourth Guest

and Visitors, Wedding Guests, Servants

IVANOV

Notes

Words in square brackets may be overlapped or elided.

Nicolas is pronounced as in French.

Act One

Outdoors at Ivanovs estate: the house-front with an open window, a terrace, some garden furniture, a suggestion of the garden beyond and an avenue of trees. Evening is drawing in. From the window, the sound of a duet, piano and cello, practising.

Ivanov sits at the table reading a book. Borkin, in high top-boots, with a rifle, appears from the garden. He is tipsy. Catching sight of Ivanov, he tiptoes up to him and, coming alongside him, points the gun at Ivanovs face.

Ivanov ( jumping up ) For Gods sake, Misha what?! you scared the ! Im a bag of nerves as it is without you, without your stupid

Borkin ( guffaws ) Right, right, apologies, sorry.

Ivanov You scared the life out of me and you think its funny

Borkin ( sits down next to him ) Wont happen again promise. ( Takes off his cap. ) Lord, its hot. Think of it, dear chap Ive covered sixteen versts in three hours, Im knackered heart going like the clappers, lend us your hand a minute

Ivanov ( reading ) Im reading

Borkin No, feel my heart

He takes Ivanovs hand and puts it to his chest.

Can you feel? Di-dum, di-dum, di-dum, dum-dim see? Heart disease! I could drop dead any moment. Actually would you be sorry if I died?

Ivanov Im reading, ask me later.

Borkin Seriously though, would you? If I died would you miss me, Nikolay?