Photos: First Look at The World Premiere of LITTLE COMEDIES At Alley Theatre

The Tony Award®-winning Alley Theatre has released first look photos of the world premiere of Little Comedies by Anton Chekhov, translated by Richard Nelson, Richard Pevear, and Larissa Volokhonsky. Directed by Tony-Award® playwright and legendary director Richard Nelson, Little Comedies runs October 6 – October 29, 2023 in the Neuhaus Theatre.

What do Swan Song, The Bear, The Proposal, The Wedding, and The Harmfulness of Tobacco have in common? They are all one-act comedies written by Anton Chekhov that will be performed by the Alley’s Resident Acting Company and directed by the Tony-Award® winning playwright and legendary director Richard Nelson. Acclaimed Russian literature translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky collaborated with Nelson to create a new English translation which will make for an extraordinary theatre experience.

"I'm so honored to be able to announce the Alley's commission of new translations of Chekhov's short plays by world-renowned playwright and director Richard Nelson and super-star translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky,” shares Artistic Director Rob Melrose. “I'm especially excited for Richard Nelson to direct our resident acting company in his unique style that achieves a level of intimacy unlike anything I have experienced in the theatre before. Chekhov considered himself a comic playwright, and his short comedies demonstrate his sense of humor and humanity to the world. This is a rare chance to see these wonderful short plays.”

“This production of Little Comedies by Anton Chekhov is both an experiment and a celebration.” shares director and translator Richard Nelson. “An experiment because these short plays are usually produced as short farces or even one-note jokes. However, we hope to present them as one would Chekhov’s great plays, where characters struggle, are lost, unaware, scared – and are always recognizably human, and so like us. The ‘comedy’ of these ‘comedies’ then, is that of being profoundly human. As for the celebration, this production honors Alley’s wonderful acting company. These five plays, newly translated by Larissa Volkhonsky and Richard Pevear (the foremost translators of Russian literature into English alive today) and myself, were commissioned expressly for the Alley acting company, which has become the last standing acting company in the American non-profit theatre. These actors and the company’s continued survival are worth celebrating.”

The cast of Little Comedies includes Alley’s Resident Acting Company members as listed: The Bear will include Melissa Molano, Christopher Salazar, and Todd Waite. The Proposal will include Elizabeth Bunch, Chris Hutchison, and David Rainey. The Wedding will include Elizabeth Bunch, Dylan Godwin, Shawn Hamilton, Chris Hutchison, Melissa Molano, Melissa Pritchett, David Rainey, Christopher Salazar, and Todd Waite. The Harmfulness of Tobacco will include David Rainey. Swan Song will include Melissa Pritchett and Todd Waite.

The creative team of Little Comedies includes Scenic Designer Alley Theatre’s Director of Design Michael Locher, Costume Designers Tony-Award® winner Susan Hilferty (Funny Girl, Wicked) and Camilla Dely, Tony-Award® winning Lighting Designer Jennifer Tipton (Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, The Cherry Orchard), Tony-Award® winning Sound Designer Scott Lehrer (Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific), Stage Manager Krissy Larson, and Assistant Stage Manager Kaylee Sarton McCray.

Tickets to Little Comedies are now on sale and start at $51. Discounted tickets are available for military, seniors, and any student or educator, regardless of age, with a valid student ID for designated performances. The first five performances are preview performances, allowing audiences to be a part of the development process of shows.  Tickets can be ordered online (alleytheatre.org) or by phone (713.220.5700).