French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. CHEKHOV, Everything Chekhov Wanted to Say About the Theatre
Theatre and Performance
Anton CHEKHOV, Everything Chekhov Wanted to Say About the Theatre
(translated from Russian by Catherine Hoden)
L'Arche éditeur, 2007, 248 pp.
EAN: 9782851816603
18 €
Anton Chekhov did not leave behind what are commonly referred to as writings on the theatre. To be sure, thousands of scholarly studies exist on his work, but for anyone who loves or practices theatre, a single sentence by a great author can reveal more than a hundred pages of academic speculation.
As the stories of his youth show, Chekhov was an early habitué of the backstage world. Theatre attracted him and, despite his disappointments, never let him go. He ironized about stardom and cursed the noise: yelping actors, cannon fire, the use of dynamite. He demanded silence—a little silence, please—to finally let the music of words be heard. In his letters and criticism, he is the same man we know from his plays: possessed of a highly refined, yet caustic humor. His observations, often extending beyond the theatre, concern art and artists in general. And where there is art, there is inevitably society.
His articles on Moscow theatrical life, published between 1883 and 1885 in the Saint Petersburg weekly "Oskolki" (Fragments), reveal a keen observer, as seen in his major reportage on Sarah Bernhardt's tour in Moscow. We see whom and what Chekhov took a stand for or against. The sharpness of his judgment remained unchanged later on when it came to his own plays and their staging. There is much to be learned here, above all that actors were of paramount importance to him.
* * *
An initial review of this book can be read on the Biffures website:
"Chekhov's Confidences" by S. Daireaux.
"Everything Chekhov Wanted to Say About the Theatre is presented as an epistolary anthology organized by thematic entries. The first part of the book features the Russian playwright's opinion pieces on the Russian theatrical life of his time. The polemical dimension of Chekhov's writings is evident on every page. No aspect of Russian cultural life is spared: whether it is his disillusionment over the demise of the Pushkin Theatre, replaced by a "café-concert," or the poor quality of Russian actors, Chekhov's commentary most often turns into a spirited indictment. The virtue of work emerges as the cornerstone of these denunciations: 'our artists are terribly lazy,' he notes, and his favorite target is the actor—or even more so, the actress—both of whom he saw as incapable of self-discipline. Thus, aware of the failures in his romantic relationship with Olga Knipper, Chekhov noted a few months before his death: 'Actresses must be kept under a tight rein, not written to. I always forget that I am an inspector of actresses.' Read more…
Anton Chekhov maintained a lifelong engagement with the performing arts, drawing from early backstage experiences that informed his perspective throughout his career. While he did not compose a systematic treatise on dramatic art, his correspondence, articles, and reviews offer direct insight into his artistic sensibilities and his critique of contemporary cultural life. These writings reflect the distinct wit and observational sharpness familiar to readers of his dramatic works and prose fiction, addressing broader questions concerning artists and society during the late nineteenth century.
This epistolary anthology, organized by thematic entries, gathers materials including opinion pieces originally published in periodicals such as Oskolki alongside selected letters. The volume highlights his commentary on Russian theatrical institutions, staging practices, and the responsibilities of performers, notably actors and actresses. Readers interested in Russian literature and the history of dramatic art may find this volume relevant for its documentation of Chekhov's critical engagements.