Chekhov's great tragicomic eulogy for a passing way of life is superbly adapted to make a powerful and beautifully playable drama. Plays for Performance Series.

College instructors as well as respected artistic directors from San Diego to Washington's Arena Stage, from the A.R.T. and Manchester's Royal Exchange to Grand Rapids, continue to choose our versions for their production and classroom use. It's because Plays for Performance are specially designed for contemporary production and study, and presented with production values uppermost in mind. Dialogue is attuned to contemporary speech and aware of modern sensibilities, allowing for comfortable performance before American audiences. Books are printed in good-sized type with wide margins, lending themselves to easy production use. The series is edited by Nicholas Rudall, former artistic director of the Court Theatre at the University of Chicago, and professor of classics at the University; and Bernard Sahlins, founder and director of The Second City.