As a playwright Chekhov was subversive, even revolutionary, breaking away from the prevailing fashions of contemporary theatre to create an exhilarating new form of drama. He created many plays without heroes and villains, and focused instead on the individual grappling with a moral dilemma. In place of the happy ending came ambiguity, in place of dramatic conflict came the solitary quest. Shocking to his first audiences, his plays are equally provocative today.

A new translation by Peter Carson with an introduction by Richard Gilman.