Three Sisters

Anton Chekhov wrote the play Three Sisters in 1900 as a commission for the now-famous Moscow Art Theatre (MAT). The production debuted there in 1901 and was directed by the MAT’s two founders, Konstantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. It was the first play that Chekhov penned specifically for production at the MAT. Three Sisters uses the three titular characters—Olga, Masha, and Irina—to examine the decay of the Russian aristocracy. Raised and educated to become the elite in cosmopolitan Moscow but ultimately relegated to a provincial town in the countryside, the sisters struggle to renegotiate their purpose in life, searching for meaning as they remain perpetually at odds with their environment and constantly long to return to Moscow.

At first, Russian audiences were unsure what to make of the play’s style, which strikes a fine balance between realism and naturalism. However, as the play’s run continued, the story gained traction amongst audience members and critics alike. After World War I ended in 1918, the Moscow Art Theatre began to tour internationally, sharing Chekhov’s work around the globe. Although Chekhov died in 1904 at the age of 44, his work became the prime representation of Russia in the broader literary canon, and the playwright achieved a posthumous level of fame that he never achieved during his lifetime.

This guide refers to the version of Three Sisters published by Theatre Communications Group in 2016, which is adapted by Tracy Letts from translations by Charlotte Hobson and Dassia N. Posner.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain descriptions of death, gun violence, and attempted suicide.

Plot Summary

The play takes place in the large home of the three Prozorov sisters—Olga, Masha, and Irina—and their brother, Andrey. Act I opens on Irina’s birthday, which is also the first anniversary of their father’s death. Their father, a military officer, moved his family from the excitement of Moscow to a stagnant rural town 11 years ago. Now, the three sisters long to return to Moscow, caught up in the desperate belief that the city will cure their intense dissatisfaction. Olga, the eldest sister, is a teacher and regrets that she never married and might now be considered too old. Masha, the second eldest, is unhappily married to Kulygin, a teacher whom she once found brilliant when she was young and naïve. The youngest sister, Irina, believes that she’ll find love in Moscow and has decided that she will find meaning and happiness in work. Meanwhile, their home remains a hub of social activity for the soldiers who gather there. Several officers arrive for Irina’s birthday lunch: young Baron Tusenbach, the aging army medic Chebutykin, and the obnoxious young Solyony. Vershinin, a new officer, stops by to introduce himself and is invited to stay for the party. He is also unhappily married with two daughters. Andrey, whom the sisters expect to become a professor, is in love with a lower-class local woman named Natasha. She is anxious for the sisters’ approval, but they mock her and label her as uncultured. Andrey proposes to Natasha, and they kiss.

In Act II, time has passed, and Natasha and Andrey are now married and have an infant son. Natasha dotes on the baby. No longer meek, she now commandeers the role of running the household, unilaterally rearranging everything to privilege her child. However, Andrey privately holds deep feelings of unfulfillment in his marriage. Meanwhile, Masha and Vershinin have started a secret affair and fallen in love. When Irina comes home from her much-hated job at the telegraph office, she is accompanied by Tusenbach, who loves Irina. Solyony also declares his love to Irina, but she despises and rejects him. Angered, he vows to kill any rival for her affections. To further complicate the dynamics, Olga worries about Andrey’s growing gambling debts.

In Act III, yet more time has passed. The action takes place in the middle of the night as a fire threatens to consume the town. The sisters open their house to both the military fire brigade and the victims. Chebutykin is drunk for the first time in two years because he has forgotten his medical training and caused the death of a patient. As the drama unfolds, the sisters are furious to learn that Andrey has mortgaged the house in order to pay his gambling debts. Irina is still miserable at her job, and Olga suggests that she marry Tusenbach even if she does not love him. Irina decides to take this advice, but she still wants to go back to Moscow.

Act IV begins with the soldiers saying their goodbyes as their brigade is transferred to Poland. Tusenbach has resigned from the military and plans to marry Irina tomorrow, although he is bothered by the fact that she does not love him. They plan to leave town because Irina has accepted a teaching position. Masha collapses in tears when she says goodbye to Vershinin, tactlessly failing to conceal her anguish from her husband. Kulygin sees her devastation but remains unbothered as if he already knew about the affair and is now content to ignore it and allow their marriage to go back to the way it was.

Meanwhile, Tusenbach is preoccupied and evades Irina’s questions about his recent altercation with Solyony. Solyony has challenged Tusenbach to a duel over Irina, and Chebutykin will serve as the on-hand doctor to treat any injuries.

Olga has been made the headmistress of her school, although she said previously that she didn’t want the position and would turn it down if offered. She has moved into an apartment at the school, which means that all three sisters will be out of the house, leaving Natasha to take full control.

Chebutykin returns with the news that Tusenbach was killed in the duel. Devastated, Irina decides to move forward with the teaching job. The sisters huddle together, affirming that they will continue to live despite their unanswered questions about the true meaning of life. They wonder if they will ever understand the purpose of their suffering.