NWCTC to Present Anton Chekhov's THREE SISTERS This Winter

In its first outing since the critically acclaimed production of Waiting For Godot in 2015, The Northwest Classical Theatre Collaborative returns to the Shoebox Theatre to stage an exciting new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's THREE SISTERS, a classic of modern drama.

Adapted and directed by Patrick Walsh, the production boasts a cast of fourteen, including many fresh faces to NWCTC audiences who take a bold approach to Chekhov's masterwork. The production will also tour to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon as part of a unique outreach program, built off of the new, collaborative production model.

"On November 9th, 2016, I picked up The Complete Works of Anton Chekhov and in a week I had finished the whole thing. After reading the book I knew that I had to direct Three Sisters," Patrick Walsh explains. "Not only is it one of the best plays that has ever been written, but no other piece of dramatic literature makes me realize the difficulty in being a human being operating in the world. I decided to take on the mantel of adapting it myself to create something that was wholly the ideas and characters that Chekhov created, but with dialogue that felt current and immediate. Through this process I was able to better articulate my own personal frustration at the world around me and also at myself for not being able to do more for the people in my life. I, much like Masha in the play, sometimes felt like I was stuck in a world that cared little for science, books, or empathy. What can any of us really do? Call a congressman? March? Does any of that really work?"

Fitting with its new, collaborative product model, NWCTC partnered with Walsh to provide the infrastructure to produce his insightful adaptation. With Three Sisters, Chekhov fashioned a play that is timeless. This adaptation will speak to the frustration that so many people in the United States are feeling every time they turn on the news or check their social media accounts. As such, Three Sisters is also part of Portland's Fertile Ground Festival of New Works.

The cast and crew include some of Portland's finest talent, featuring Christy Bigelow (Olga), Elizabeth Jackson (Masha) and Dainichia Noreault (Irina). The production crew is equally impressive. Patrick Walsh directs, and the scenic design is by Kyra Bishop Sanford. Costumes are designed by Jessica Kroeze Bobillot. Molly Stowe designed the lights, and sound is designed by Chris Beatty. The Stage Manager is Jenn Lindell.

Written in 1900 and first produced in 1901, Three Sisters was Anton Chekhov's first specific commission for the Moscow Arts Theatre. Often described as a metaphor for the decline of the elite coupled with the search for meaning in a modern world, Chekhov offers us three sisters-Olga, Masha, and Irina (and their brother Andrey)-who have led a cultured life in Moscow but forced to live in a "lifeless" provincial town for a decade. Each sister longs to return to Moscow, where they can resume their former lives. Their struggles among themselves (and their entanglements with a visiting regimental army), propel each of the sisters between hope for a better future and despair for their current situation.

Three Sisters showcases a completely new adaption of Anton Chekhov's play, with a focus on the frustrations felt by so many people in the United States. Three Sisters is the second NWCTC production based on a new, collaborative production model whereby passionate theatre artists are given an opportunity to present their vision of classical works. Three Sisters will travel to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility as part of an extension of director Patrick Walsh's vision of providing a theatrical experience for Oregon's incarcerated population.

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IF YOU GO:

Northwest Classical Theatre Collaborative presents
THREE SISTERS by Anton Chekhov
Adapted and Directed by Patrick Walsh
January 12 - 28, 2018
At the Shoebox Theatre 2110 SE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Evening performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30, matinees Sundays at 2:00.
Tickets are $25 for general admission, $20 for students and seniors, available online at www.nwctc.org, or by emailing info@nwctc.org.

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The Northwest Classical Theatre Collaborative is a new kind of co-Production Company - encouraging and nurturing members of Portland's artistic community who are passionate about producing classical work.

Pictured: Dainichia Noreault as Irina, Elizabeth Jackson as Masha, Christy Bigelow as Olga in the Northwest Classical Theatre Collaboration production of Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov. Photo by Gary Norman.