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{{short description|1896 play by Anton Chekhov}}
{{about|the play by Anton Chekhov|other uses|Seagull (disambiguation)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox play
| name       = The Seagull
| image      = Maly Theatre foto 4.jpg
| caption    = [[Maly Theatre (Moscow)|Maly Theatre]] production in 2008
| writer     = [[Anton Chekhov]]
| setting    = Sorin's country estate
| premiere   = 17 October 1896
| place      = [[Alexandrinsky Theatre]], [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia
| orig_lang  = Russian
| genre      = Comedy
}}
'''''The Seagull''''' ({{langx|ru|Ча́йка|Cháyka|links=no}}) is a play by Russian dramatist [[Anton Chekhov]], written in [[1895 in literature|1895]] and first produced in [[1896 in literature#Drama|1896]]. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatizes the romantic and artistic conflicts between four characters: the famous [[middlebrow]] story writer Boris Trigorin, the ingenue Nina, the fading actress Irina Arkadina, and her son the [[Russian symbolism|symbolist]] playwright Konstantin Treplev.

Like Chekhov's other full-length plays, ''The Seagull'' relies upon an [[ensemble cast]] of diverse, fully-developed characters. In contrast to the [[melodrama]] of mainstream [[Nineteenth-century theatre|19th-century theatre]], lurid actions (such as Konstantin's suicide attempts) are not shown onstage. Characters tend to speak in [[subtext]] rather than directly.{{sfn|Benedetti|1989|loc=26}} The character Trigorin is considered one of Chekhov's greatest male roles.

The opening night of the first production was a famous failure. [[Vera Komissarzhevskaya]], playing Nina, was so intimidated by the hostility of the audience that she lost her voice.<ref name=Letters>Chekhov (1920); Letter to A. F. Koni, 11 November 1896. [[:gutenberg:6408|Available online at Project Gutenberg]].</ref> Chekhov left the audience and spent the last two acts behind the scenes. When supporters wrote to him that the production later became a success, he assumed that they were merely trying to be kind.<ref name=Letters /> When [[Konstantin Stanislavski]], the seminal Russian [[theatre practitioner]] of the time, directed it in 1898 for his [[Moscow Art Theatre]], the play was a triumph. [[Moscow Art Theatre production of The Seagull|Stanislavski's production]] became "one of the greatest events in the history of Russian theatre and one of the greatest new developments in the [[History of theatre|history of world drama]]".{{sfn|Rudnitsky|1981|loc=8}}

Stanislavski's direction caused ''The Seagull'' to be perceived as a tragedy through overzealousness with the concept of subtext, whereas Chekhov intended it to be a comedy.

== Writing ==
[[File:Melikhovo Cottage 2.jpg|thumb|Guest cottage at [[Melikhovo]] where Chekhov wrote ''The Seagull'']]
Chekhov purchased the [[Melikhovo]] farm in 1892 and ordered a lodge built in the middle of a cherry orchard. The lodge had three rooms, one containing a bed and another a writing table. Chekhov eventually moved in, and in a letter written in October 1895 he wrote:
<blockquote>I am writing a play which I shall probably not finish before the end of November. I am writing it not without pleasure, though I swear fearfully at the conventions of the stage. It's a comedy, there are three women's parts, six men's, four acts, landscapes (view over a lake); a great deal of conversation about literature, little action, and tons of love.{{sfn|Chekhov|1920}}</blockquote>
Thus he acknowledged a departure from traditional dramatic action. This departure became a hallmark of Chekhovian theater. Chekhov's statement also reflects his view of the play as a comedy, a view he maintained towards all his plays. After the play's disastrous opening night, his friend [[Aleksey Suvorin]] chided him for being "womanish" and accused him of being in "a funk". Chekhov vigorously denied this, stating:
<blockquote>Why this libel? After the performance, I had supper at Romanov's. On my word of honor. Then I went to bed, slept soundly, and the next day, went home without uttering a sound of complaint. If I had been in a funk I should have run from editor to editor and actor to actor, should have nervously entreated them to be considerate, should nervously have inserted useless corrections, and should have spent two or three weeks in Petersburg fussing over my ''Seagull'', in excitement, in a cold perspiration, in lamentation... I acted as coldly and reasonably as a man who has made an offer, received a refusal, and has nothing left but to go. Yes, my vanity was stung, but you know it was not a bolt from the blue; I was expecting a failure and was prepared for it, as I warned you with perfect sincerity beforehand.</blockquote>
And a month later:
<blockquote>I thought that if I had written and put on the stage a play so obviously brimming over with monstrous defects, I had lost all instinct and that, therefore, my machinery must have gone wrong for good.</blockquote>
The eventual success of the play, both in the remainder of its first run and in the subsequent staging by the [[Moscow Art Theatre]] under [[Konstantin Stanislavski|Stanislavski]], encouraged Chekhov to remain a playwright and led to the overwhelming success of his next endeavor, ''[[Uncle Vanya]]'', and indeed to the rest of his dramatic work.
<!--UNCITED
== Title ==
The English title for the play '''''The Seagull''''' is a potentially misleading translation of the title from its original Russian. Although the words "gull" and "seagull" are often used interchangeably in English, the text of the play makes no mention of the sea and is set on an estate somewhere in the inland regions of central Russia or [[Ukraine]]. The titular gull in question was likely meant by Chekhov to be a [[black-headed gull]] or [[common gull]]. A more exact translation of the title would thus be '''''The Gull''''', as the word "seagull" could erroneously evoke maritime connotations when no such imagery was intended by the playwright.-->

== Cast and characters ==
[[File:Anton Chekhov reads The Seagull.jpg|thumb|top|280px|Chekhov reads ''The Seagull'' with the [[Moscow Art Theatre]] company. Chekhov reads (centre), [[Konstantin Stanislavski]] and [[Olga Knipper]] (right), Stanislavski's wife, Maria Lilina, (left). [[Vsevolod Meyerhold]] (seated, far right) [[Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko]] (far left).]]
* '''Irina Nikolayevna Arkadina''' – an actress, married surname Trepleva
* '''Konstantin Gavrilovich Treplev''' – Irina's son, a young man
*'''Pyotr Nikolayevich Sorin''' – Irina's brother, owner of the country estate
* '''Nina Mikhailovna Zarechnaya''' – a young woman, the daughter of a rich landowner
* '''Ilya Afanasyevich Shamrayev''' – a retired lieutenant and the manager of Sorin's estate
* '''Polina Andreyevna''' – Shamrayev's wife
* '''Maria Ilyinishna Shamrayeva, "Masha"''' – Polina's daughter
* '''Boris Alexeyevich Trigorin''' – a [[novelist]]
* '''Yevgeny Sergeyevich Dorn''' – a doctor
* '''Semyon Semyonovich Medvedenko''' – a teacher in love with Masha
* '''Yakov''' – a workman
* '''Cook'''
* '''Maid'''

{| class="wikitable"
|+Notable casts
! rowspan="2" |Character
! West End Revival 
! West End Revival 
! Public Theater 
! West End Revival 
! Broadway Revival 
! West End Revival
! West End Revival
|-
!<small>1936</small>
!<small>1994</small>
!<small>2001</small>
!<small>2007</small>
!<small>2008</small>
!<small>2020</small>
!<small>2025</small>
|-
! Irina Arkadina
| align="center"|[[Edith Evans]]
| align="center"|[[Judi Dench]]
| align="center"|[[Meryl Streep]]
| align="center"|[[Frances Barber]]
| align="center"|[[Kristin Scott Thomas]]
| align="center"|[[Indira Varma]]
| align="center"|[[Cate Blanchett]]
|- 
! Konstantin Treplev 
| align="center"| N/A 
| align="center"|[[Alan Cox (actor)|Alan Cox]]
| align="center"|[[Philip Seymour Hoffman]]
| align="center"|[[Richard Goulding]]
| align="center"|[[Mackenzie Crook]]
| align="center"|[[Daniel Monks]]
| align="center"|[[Kodi Smit-McPhee]]
|-
! Pyotr Sorin
| align="center"|[[Frederick Lloyd (actor)|Frederick Lloyd]]
| align="center"|[[Norman Rodway]]
| align="center"|[[Christopher Walken]]
| align="center"|[[William Gaunt]]
| align="center"|[[Peter Wight (actor)|Peter Wight]]
| align="center"|[[Robert Glenister]]
| align="center"|[[Jason Watkins]]
|-
! Nina Zarechnaya 
| align="center"|[[Peggy Ashcroft]]
| align="center"|[[Helen McCrory]]
| align="center"|[[Natalie Portman]]
| align="center"|[[Romola Garai]]
| align="center"|[[Carey Mulligan]]
| align="center"|[[Emilia Clarke]]
| align="center"|[[Emma Corrin]]
|-
! Ilya Shamrayev 
| align="center"|[[George Devine]]
| align="center"|Robert Demeger
| align="center"|[[John Goodman]]
| align="center"|[[Guy Williams (actor)|Guy Williams]]
| align="center"|Julian Gamble
| align="center"|[[Jason Barnett]]
| align="center"|[[Paul Higgins (actor)|Paul Higgins]]
|-
! Polina Andreyevna 
| align="center"|N/A
| align="center"|[[Anna Calder-Marshall]]
| align="center"|[[Debra Monk]]
| align="center"|Melanie Jessop
| align="center"|[[Ann Dowd]]
| align="center"|[[Sara Powell]]
| align="center"|[[Priyanga Burford]]
|-
! "Masha" Shamreyeva 
| align="center"|Marita Hunt
| align="center"|Rachel Power
| align="center"|[[Marcia Gay Harden]]
| align="center"|[[Monica Dolan]]
| align="center"|[[Zoe Kazan]]
| align="center"|[[Sophie Wu]]
| align="center"|[[Tanya Reynolds]]
|-
! Boris Trigorin 
| align="center"|[[John Gielgud]]
| align="center"|[[Bill Nighy]]
| align="center"|[[Kevin Kline]]
| align="center"|[[Gerald Kyd]]
| align="center"|[[Peter Sarsgaard]]
| align="center"|[[Tom Rhys Harries]]
| align="center"|[[Tom Burke (actor)|Tom Burke]]
|-
! Yevgeny Dorn
| align="center"|N/A
| align="center"|Edward Pethebridge
| align="center"|[[Larry Pine]]
| align="center"|[[Jonathan Hyde]]
| align="center"|[[Art Malik]]
| align="center"|[[Gerald Kyd]]
| align="center"|Paul Bazley
|-
! Semyon Medvedenko 
| align="center"|N/A
| align="center"|[[John Hodgkinson (actor, born 1966)|John Hodgkinson]]
| align="center"|[[Stephen Spinella]]
| align="center"|Ben Meyjes
| align="center"|[[Pearce Quigley]]
| align="center"|Mika Onyx Johnson
| align="center"|Zachary Hart
|-
! Yakov
| align="center"|N/A
| align="center"|[[Jimmy Gardner (actor)|Jimmy Gardner]]
| align="center"|[[Henry Gummer]]
| align="center"|[[Peter Hinton]]
| align="center"|Christopher Patrick Nolan
| align="center"|N/A
| align="center"|N/A
|-
|}

== Plot ==

=== Act I ===
Pyotr Sorin is a retired senior civil servant in failing health at his country estate. His sister, actress Irina Arkadina, arrives at the estate for a brief vacation with her lover, the writer Boris Trigorin. Pyotr and his guests gather at an outdoor stage to see an unconventional play that Irina's son, Konstantin Treplev, has written and directed. The [[Play within a play|play-within-a-play]] features Nina Zarechnaya, a young woman who lives on a neighboring estate, as the "soul of the world" in a time far in the future. The play is Konstantin's latest attempt at creating a [[Experimental theatre|new theatrical form]]. It is a dense [[Russian symbolism|symbolist]] work. Irina laughs at the play, finding it ridiculous and incomprehensible; the performance ends prematurely after audience interruption and Konstantin storms off in humiliation. Irina does not seem concerned about her son, who has not found his way in the world. Although others ridicule Konstantin's drama, the physician Yevgeny Dorn praises him.

Act I also sets up the play's various [[Love triangle|romantic triangles]]. The schoolteacher Semyon Medvedenko loves Masha, the daughter of the estate's steward Ilya Shamrayev and his wife Polina Andryevna. However, Masha is in love with Konstantin, who is in love with Nina, but Nina falls for Trigorin. Polina is in an affair with Yevgeny. When Masha tells Yevgeny about her longing for Konstantin, Yevgeny helplessly blames the lake for making everybody feel romantic.

=== Act II ===
A few days later, in the afternoon, characters are outside the estate. Arkadina, after reminiscing about happier times, engages in a heated argument with the house steward Shamrayev and decides to leave. Nina lingers behind after the group leaves, and Konstantin arrives to give her a [[gull]] that he has shot. Nina is confused and horrified at the gift. Konstantin sees Trigorin approaching and leaves in a jealous fit.

Nina asks Trigorin to tell her about the writer's life; he replies that it is not an easy one. Nina says that she knows the life of an actress is not easy either, but she wants more than anything to be one. Trigorin sees the gull that Konstantin has shot and muses on how he could use it as a subject for a short story: <blockquote>The plot for the short story: a young girl lives all her life on the shore of a lake. She loves the lake, like a gull, and she's happy and free, like a gull. But a man arrives by chance, and when he sees her, he destroys her, out of sheer boredom. Like this gull.</blockquote>Arkadina calls for Trigorin, and he leaves as she tells him that she has changed her mind – they will be staying. Nina lingers behind, enthralled with Trigorin's celebrity and modesty, and gushes, "My dream!"

=== Act III ===
Inside the estate, Arkadina and Trigorin have decided to depart. Between acts, Konstantin attempted [[suicide]] by shooting himself in the head, but the bullet only grazed his [[skull]]. He spends the majority of Act III with his scalp heavily bandaged.

Nina finds Trigorin eating breakfast and presents him with a medallion that proclaims her devotion to him, using a line from one of Trigorin's own books: "If you ever need my life, come and take it." She retreats after begging for one last chance to see Trigorin before he leaves. Arkadina appears, followed by Sorin, whose health has continued to deteriorate. Trigorin leaves to continue packing. After a brief argument between Arkadina and Sorin, Sorin collapses in grief. He is helped by Medvedenko. Konstantin enters and asks his mother to change his bandage. As she is doing this, Konstantin disparages Trigorin, eliciting another argument. When Trigorin reenters, Konstantin leaves in tears.

Trigorin asks Arkadina if they can stay at the estate. She flatters and cajoles him until he agrees to return with her to [[Moscow]]. After she has left the room, Nina comes to say her final goodbye to Trigorin and to inform him that she is running away to become an actress against her parents' wishes. They kiss passionately and make plans to meet again in Moscow.

=== Act IV ===
It is winter two years later, in the [[drawing room]] that has been converted to Konstantin's study. Masha finally accepts Medvedenko's marriage proposal, and they have a child together, though Masha still nurses an unrequited love for Konstantin. Various characters discuss what has happened in the two years that have passed: Nina and Trigorin lived together in Moscow for a time until he abandoned her and went back to Arkadina. Nina gave birth to Trigorin's baby, but it died in a short time. Nina never achieved any real success as an actress, and she is currently on a tour of the provinces with a small theatre group. Konstantin has had some short stories published, but he is increasingly depressed. Sorin's health is still failing, and the people at the estate have [[telegraph]]ed for Arkadina to come for his final days.

Most of the play's characters go to the drawing room to play a game of [[Bingo (British version)|bingo]]. Konstantin does not join them, instead working on a manuscript at his desk. After the group leaves to eat dinner, Konstantin hears someone at the back door. He is surprised to find Nina, whom he invites inside. Nina tells Konstantin about her life over the last two years. Konstantin says that he followed Nina. She starts to compare herself to the gull that Konstantin killed in Act II, then rejects that and says "I am an actress." She tells him that she was forced to tour with a second-rate theatre company after the death of the child she had with Trigorin, but she seems to have a newfound confidence. Konstantin pleads with her to stay, but she is in such disarray that his pleading means nothing. She embraces Konstantin and leaves. Despondent, Konstantin spends two minutes silently tearing up his manuscripts before leaving the study.

The group reenters and returns to the bingo game. There is a sudden gunshot from off-stage, and Dorn goes to investigate. He returns and takes Trigorin aside. Dorn tells Trigorin to somehow get Arkadina away, for Konstantin has just shot himself.

== Performance history ==

=== Premiere in St. Petersburg ===
The first night of ''The Seagull'' on 17 October [[1896 in literature|1896]] at the [[Alexandrinsky Theatre]] in Petersburg was a disaster, booed by the audience. The hostile audience intimidated [[Vera Komissarzhevskaya]] so severely that she lost her voice. Some considered her the best actor in Russia who, according to Chekhov, had moved people to tears as Nina in rehearsal.<ref name=Letters /> The next day, Chekhov, who had taken refuge backstage for the last two acts, announced to [[Aleksey Suvorin|Suvorin]] that he was finished with writing plays.{{sfn|Chekhov|1920|loc=Letter to Suvorin, 18 October 1896}} When supporters assured him that later performances were more successful, Chekhov assumed they were just being kind. ''The Seagull'' impressed the playwright and friend of Chekhov [[Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko]], however, who said Chekhov should have won the [[Alexander Griboyedov|Griboyedov]] prize that year for ''The Seagull'' instead of himself.<ref>{{harvnb|Benedetti|1989|loc=16}}) and {{harvnb|Benedetti|1999|loc=59, 74}}.</ref>

[[File:Stanislavski Seagull.jpg|thumb|Studio portrait of [[Konstantin Stanislavski|Stanislavski]] as Trigorin from the 1898 [[Moscow Art Theatre production of The Seagull|Moscow Art Theatre production]]<ref>"Elegantly coiffured, clad in evening dress, mournfully contemplating the middle distance with pencil and notepad, suggests someone more intent on resurrecting the dead seagull in deathless prose than plotting the casual seduction of the ardent female by his side." – {{harvnb|Worrall|1996|loc=107}}.</ref>]]

=== Moscow Art Theatre production ===
{{further|Moscow Art Theatre production of The Seagull|l1=Moscow Art Theatre production of ''The Seagull''}}
Nemirovich overcame Chekhov's refusal to allow the play to appear in Moscow and convinced [[Konstantin Stanislavski|Stanislavski]] to direct the play for their innovative and newly founded [[Moscow Art Theatre]] in 1898.<ref>{{harvnb|Benedetti|1999|loc=73}} and {{harvnb|Benedetti|1989|loc=25}}.</ref> Stanislavski prepared a detailed directorial score, which indicated when the actors should "wipe away dribble, blow their noses, smack their lips, wipe away sweat, or clean their teeth and nails with matchsticks", as well as organising a tight control of the overall ''[[mise-en-scène]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Worrall|1996|loc=109}} and {{harvnb|Braun|1981|loc=62–63}}.</ref> This approach was intended to facilitate the unified expression of the inner action that Stanislavski perceived to be hidden beneath the surface of the play in its [[subtext]].{{sfn|Braun|1981|loc=62–63}} Stanislavski's directorial score was published in 1938.<ref>{{harvnb|Benedetti|1999|loc=79}}. For an English translation of Stanislavski's score, see {{harvnb|Balukhaty|1952}}.</ref>

Stanislavski played Trigorin, while [[Vsevolod Meyerhold]], the future director and [[Theatre practitioner|practitioner]] (whom Stanislavski on his death-bed declared to be "my sole heir in the theatre"), played Konstantin, and [[Olga Knipper]] (Chekhov's future wife) played Arkadina.<ref>{{harvnb|Braun|1981|loc=62}}) and {{harvnb|Benedetti|1999|loc=79–81}}.</ref> The production opened on 17 December 1898 with a sense of crisis in the air in the theatre; most of the actors were mildly self-tranquilised with [[Valerian (herb)|Valerian drops]].{{sfn|Benedetti|1999|loc=85, 386}} In a letter to Chekhov, one audience member described how:
{{quote|In the first act something special started, if you can so describe a mood of excitement in the audience that seemed to grow and grow. Most people walked through the auditorium and corridors with strange faces, looking as if it were their birthday and, indeed, (dear God I'm not joking) it was perfectly possible to go up to some completely strange woman and say: "What a play? Eh?"<ref>Quoted by {{harvnb|Benedetti|1999|loc=86}}.</ref>}}
[[Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko|Nemirovich-Danchenko]] described the applause, which came after a prolonged silence, as bursting from the audience like a dam breaking.<ref name=b86>{{harvnb|Benedetti|1999|loc=86}}.</ref> The production received unanimous praise from the press.<ref name=b86 />

It was not until 1 May 1899 that Chekhov saw the production, in a performance without sets but in make-up and costumes at the Paradiz Theatre.<ref name=b89>{{harvnb|Benedetti|1999|loc=89}}.</ref> He praised the production but was less keen on Stanislavski's own performance; he objected to the "soft, weak-willed tone" in his interpretation (shared by [[Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko|Nemirovich]]) of Trigorin and entreated Nemirovich to "put some spunk into him or something".<ref>{{harvnb|Benedetti|1999|loc=89–90}} and {{harvnb|Worrall|1996|loc=108}}.</ref> He proposed that the play be published with Stanislavski's score of the production's ''mise-en-scène''.{{sfn|Benedetti|1999|loc=90}} Chekhov's collaboration with Stanislavski proved crucial to the creative development of both men. Stanislavski's attention to [[Realism (theatre)|psychological realism]] and [[Ensemble cast|ensemble playing]] coaxed the buried subtleties from the play and revived Chekhov's interest in writing for the stage. Chekhov's unwillingness to explain or expand on the script forced Stanislavski to dig beneath the surface of the text in ways that were new in theatre.<ref>Chekhov and the Art Theatre, in Stanislavski's words, were united in a common desire "to achieve artistic simplicity and truth on the stage"; {{harvnb|Allen|2001|loc=11}}.</ref> The Moscow Art Theatre to this day bears the seagull as its [[emblem]] to commemorate the historic production that gave it its identity.{{sfn|Braun|1981|loc=2, 64}}

=== Other notable productions ===
*The play had its German premiere in April 1909 at the [[Hebbel-Theater]], Berlin. The play was cordially received but the Berlin correspondent of ''[[The Era (newspaper)|The Era]]'' doubted that the work would last: "It is in the heavy, gloomy style of most Russian writers, while the interest of the average audience is not lively enough in the heroine's adventures to keep the piece any length of time in the bill".<ref>"The Drama in Berlin", ''The Era'', 8 May 1909, p. 11</ref>
*The first production in English was given at the [[Royalty Theatre, Glasgow]], on 2 November 1909 by the [[Glasgow Repertory Theatre]] company, with [[Mary Jerrold]] as Arkadina, [[Milton Rosmer]] as Konstantin, [[Hubert Harben]] as Shamrayev, [[Campbell Gullan]] as Trigorin and [[Laurence Hanray]] as Sorin.<ref>"''The Seagull''", ''[[The Era (newspaper)|The Era]]'', 6 November 1909, p. 16</ref>
*The first production in London was at the [[Little Theatre in the Adelphi|Little Theatre]] on 31 March 1912, with [[Gertrude Kingston]] as Arkadina.<ref>"''The Seagull''", ''[[The Era (newspaper)|The Era]]'', 6 April 1912, p. 13</ref>
*The play's [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] premiere was at the Bandbox Theatre on 20 May 1916, with [[Helen Westley]] as Arkadina.<ref name=IBDB1916>{{IBDB title|7749#OpeningNightCast|The Seagull|(1916 production)}}</ref>
*The French premiere, under the title {{lang|fr|La Mouette}}, was staged by [[Georges Pitoëff]] at the [[Théâtre des Champs-Élysées]], Paris, in 1922.{{sfn|Pavis|1984|p=137}} The cast included {{ill|Nora Sylvère|fr}} as Arkadina, [[Michel Simon]] as Sorin, Pitoëff as Trigorin and [[Ludmilla Pitoëff]] as Nina.<ref>[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k244726k/f2 "Chronique Théatrale"], ''Les Temps'', Paris, 1 May 1922, p. 2</ref>
*A production directed by [[Theodore Komisarjevsky]] opened at the [[Noël Coward Theatre|New Theatre]], London, on 20 May 1936, with [[Edith Evans]] as Arkadina, [[John Gielgud]] as Trigorin, [[Frederick Lloyd (actor)|Frederick Lloyd]] as Sorin, [[George Devine]] as Shamrayev, [[Martita Hunt]] as Masha and [[Peggy Ashcroft]] as Nina. After lukewarm reviews of earlier productions the play was now hailed by British critics: ''[[The Times]]'' said, "''The Seagull'' is among the supreme masterpieces of the theatre",<ref>"New Theatre", ''The Times'', 21 May 1936, p. 14</ref> and ''[[The Observer]]'' commented that Chekhov would begin to rival Shakespeare as the [[West End theatre|West End]]'s greatest attraction.<ref>[[Ivor Brown|Brown, Ivor]], "''The Seagull''", ''[[The Observer]]'', 24 May 1936, p. 19</ref>
*The [[Theatre Guild]] presented the play at the [[Shubert Theatre (Broadway)|Shubert Theatre]], New York, in March 1938. [[Lynn Fontanne]] played Arkadina, with [[Alfred Lunt]] (Trigorin), [[Sydney Greenstreet]] (Sorin), [[Margaret Webster]] (Masha) and, in her Broadway debut, [[Uta Hagen]] (as Nina).<ref name=IBDB1938>{{IBDB title|7945#OpeningNightCast|The Seagull|(1938)}}</ref> As in Britain, the play now received respectful and enthusiastic notices: one reviewer called it "great drama, tragic and luminous, with a light which shadows the petty playwrighting of today's dramatists".<ref>"The Lunts Superb in ''The Seagull''", ''[[Courier-Post]]'', 2 November 1938, p, 17</ref>
*[[Sacha Pitoëff]]'s 1962 production for a five-month tour of France, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg featured [[Romy Schneider]] [[:File:La mouette - btv1b106030150 (05 of 20) cropped.jpg|as Nina]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Hellet|first=Marion|title=Romy Schneider: A Star Across Europe|page=149|publisher=Bloomsbury|isbn=9781501378843}}</ref>
*The first of two productions by the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] in London was in 1994, in an adaptation by [[Pam Gems]], directed by [[John Caird (director)|John Caird]], with [[Judi Dench]] (Arkadina), [[Norman Rodway]] (Sorin), [[Bill Nighy]] (Trigorin) and [[Edward Petherbridge]] (Dorn).<ref>[https://catalogue.nationaltheatre.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Performance&id=1312&pos=2 "''The Seagull''"], National Theatre archive. Retrieved 19 December 2024</ref> A second production by the National Theatre, in 2006, had a cast headed by [[Juliet Stevenson]] in a production of [[Martin Crimp]]'s adaptation, directed by [[Katie Mitchell]].<ref>[https://catalogue.nationaltheatre.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Performance&id=PERF6726&pos=1 "''The Seagull''"], National Theatre archive. Retrieved 19 December 2024</ref>
*In 1998, a production by [[Daniela Thomas]], assisted by [[Luiz Päetow]], toured Brazil under the title ''Da Gaivota'', with [[Fernanda Montenegro]] as Arkadina, [[Matheus Nachtergaele]] as Treplyov, and [[Fernanda Torres]] as Nina.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://caetanoendetalle.blogspot.com.br/2015/12/1998-da-gaivota.html|title=Da Gaivota|date=22 December 2015|publisher=Folha newspaper}}</ref>
*The [[Joseph Papp Public Theater]] presented Chekhov's play as part of the [[New York Shakespeare Festival]] summer season in [[Central Park]] from 25 July 2001 to 26 August 2001. The production, directed by [[Mike Nichols]], starred [[Meryl Streep]] as Arkadina, [[Christopher Walken]] as Sorin, [[Philip Seymour Hoffman]] as Treplyov, [[John Goodman]] as Shamrayev, [[Marcia Gay Harden]] as Masha, [[Kevin Kline]] as Trigorin, [[Debra Monk]] as Polina, [[Stephen Spinella]] as Medvedenko, and [[Natalie Portman]] as Nina.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}
*In January 2007, the [[Royal Court Theatre]] staged a production of ''The Seagull'' with [[Kristin Scott Thomas]] as Arkadina, [[Mackenzie Crook]] as Treplyov and [[Carey Mulligan]] as Nina. It also featured [[Chiwetel Ejiofor]] and [[Art Malik]]. The production was directed by [[Ian Rickson]].<ref>"Rickson bows out with flawless classic", ''The Stage'', 1 February 2007, p. 20</ref>
*In 2007 a production by the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] toured internationally before coming into residence at the [[West End theatre|West End]]'s [[New London Theatre]] until 12 January 2008. It starred [[Frances Barber]] as Arkadina, [[William Gaunt]] and [[Ian McKellen]] alternating as Sorin, [[Richard Goulding]] as Treplyov, [[Jonathan Hyde]] as Dorn, [[Monica Dolan]] as Masha, and [[Romola Garai]] as Nina. Garai in particular was well reviewed.<ref>[https://www.standard.co.uk/arts/theatre/the-fall-of-a-highflying-bird-7401568.html "The fall of a high-flying bird"] by [[Nicholas de Jongh]], ''[[London Evening Standard]]'' (28 November 2007)</ref>
*On 16 September 2008, the [[Walter Kerr Theatre]] on Broadway began previews of Ian Rickson's production of ''The Seagull'' with [[Kristin Scott Thomas]] reprising her role as Arkadina. The cast also included [[Peter Sarsgaard]] as Trigorin, [[Mackenzie Crook]] as Treplyov, [[Art Malik]] as Dorn, [[Carey Mulligan]] as Nina, [[Zoe Kazan]] as Masha, and [[Ann Dowd]] as Polina.<ref>[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/120524-MARQUEE-VALUE-The-Seagull-at-the-Walter-Kerr-Theatre "Marquee value: ''The Seagull'' at the Walter Kerr Theatre"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020000457/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/120524-MARQUEE-VALUE-The-Seagull-at-the-Walter-Kerr-Theatre |date=2012-10-20 }} by Matthew Blank, ''[[Playbill]]'' (18 August 2008)</ref>
*In 2011, a new version directed by [[Golden Mask (Russian award)|Golden Mask]] winner [[Yuri Butusov]] debuted at [[Konstantin Raikin|Konstantin Raikin's]] [[Satyricon (theatre)|Satyricon]] theater, notable for its return to comedy and "[[Brechtian]]-style techniques".<ref>{{cite web|last=Ludman|first=Mark|date=8 February 2019|title=Review: ''The Seagull'', Satirikon Theatre, Moscow (Stage Russia) ✭✭✭✭✭|url=https://britishtheatre.com/review-the-seagull-satirikon-theatre-moscow-stage-russia/|access-date=26 May 2021|website=British Theatre.com}}</ref> In 2017 and in coordination with Butusov, a production was filmed and subtitled in English by the Stage Russia project.
*The [[Oregon Shakespeare Festival]] staged ''Seagull'' in the New Theatre from 22 February until 22 June 2012, adapted and directed by [[Libby Appel]].<ref>[http://www.osfashland.org/browse/production.aspx?prod=239 ''Seagull''], [[Oregon Shakespeare Festival]], 2012</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Hughley|first=Marty|title=Oregon Shakespeare Festival reviews: season-opening shows hit their marks (and, in one case, Marx)|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2012/03/oregon_shakespeare_festival_re_5.html|access-date=June 15, 2012|work=[[The Oregonian]]|date=5 March 2012}}</ref>
*In 2014, a translation into [[Afrikaans]] under the title ''Die seemeeu'', directed by [[Christiaan Olwagen]] and starring [[Sandra Prinsloo]], was staged at the [[Aardklop]] arts festival in [[Potchefstroom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cloveraardklop.co.za/event/view/die_seemeeu_|title=''Die seemeeu'', performance details|publisher=[[Aardklop]]|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref>
*In January 2015, Toronto's Crow's Theatre produced ''The Seagull'' in association with [[Canadian Stage Company|Canadian Stage]] and [[The Company Theatre]]. Helmed by Crow's Theatre's artistic director [[Chris Abraham]], the creative team was composed of set and costume designer Julie Fox, lighting designer Kimberly Purtell and sound designer Thomas Ryder Payne.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''The Seagull'' – Streetcar Crowsnest |url=http://crowstheatre.com/whats-on/view-all/the-seagull |access-date=2022-06-08 |website=crowstheatre.com |language=en}}</ref> The Robert Falls adaptation, based on a translation by [[George Calderon]], featured an all-Canadian cast including [[Yanna McIntosh]] as Arkadina, [[Eric Peterson]] as Sorin, [[Christine Horne]] as Nina, [[Tony Nappo]] as Shamrayev, [[Bahia Watson]] as Masha, [[Tom McCamus]] as Dorn and [[Gregory Prest]] as Medvedenko.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''The Seagull'' {{!}} The Toronto Theatre Database |url=https://ttdb.ca/shows/the-seagull-2/ |access-date=2022-06-08 |language=en-US}}</ref>
*[[Regent's Park Open Air Theatre]] presented a new version of ''The Seagull'' by [[Torben Betts]] in June 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.openairtheatre.com/whats-on?by=productions|title=Regent's Park Open Air Theatre 2015 Season|publisher=Open Air Theatre|access-date=6 November 2014}}</ref> The production received critical praise for its design by [[Jon Bausor]] and the new adaptation by Betts.<ref>Cavendish, Dominic: [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/11693257/The-Seagull-Open-Air-Theatre-Regents-Park-review-terrific.html "''The Seagull'', Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, review: 'terrific'"], ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'', 26 June 2015</ref>
*In March 2015, Hurrah Hurrah and the Hot Blooded Theatre Company presented ''The Seagull'' in an unused shop-front with the help of [[The Rocks Pop-up]].<ref>{{cite web|author=David Kary |url=http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/the-rocks-pop-up-project-the-seagull/ |title=The Rocks Pop-Up Project – ''The Seagull'' Review |publisher=Sydney Arts Guide |date=2015-03-23 |access-date=2017-07-06}}</ref>
*In 2016, [[Thomas Ostermeier]], director of Berlin's [[Schaubühne]] theatre, directed ''The Seagull'' at the [[Théâtre de Vidy]], Lausanne.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vidy.ch/en/the-seagull|title=''The Seagull''|date=17 November 2015|access-date=3 December 2016|publisher=Théâtre de Vidy}}</ref>
*In 2020, [[Anya Reiss]]'s adaptation of ''The Seagull'' began previews on 11 March in the [[Playhouse Theatre]], starring [[Emilia Clarke]] as Nina and [[Indira Varma]] as Irina.<ref>Sullivan, Lindsey. [https://www.broadway.com/buzz/199368/jessica-chastain-led-a-dolls-house-the-seagull-with-emilia-clarke-postponed-in-London "Jessica Chastain-Led ''A Doll's House'' & ''The Seagull'' with Emilia Clarke Postponed in London"], Broadway.com, 28 May 2020</ref> The production was suspended on 16 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic but subsequently reopened at the [[Harold Pinter Theatre]] in July 2022 and ran until September.<ref>Deen, Sarah. [https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/17/emilia-clarkes-play-seagull-suspended-londons-west-end-shuts-coronavirus-pandemic-12412909 "Emilia Clarke's play ''The Seagull'' suspended as London's West End shuts down over coronavirus pandemic"], ''Metro'', 17 March 2020</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/the-seagull-emilia-clarke-west-end-debut_56877.html | title=''The Seagull'' review – Emilia Clarke makes her West End debut &#124; WhatsOnStage | date=8 July 2022 }}</ref>
*Also in 2020, the [[Auckland Theatre Company]] presented an on-line production during the COVID-19 lockdown, using the device of a Zoom meeting for the stage. It was adapted by Eli Kent and Eleanor Bishop, who also directed it, with rehearsals and performances carried out online.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atc.co.nz/auckland-theatre-company/2020/chekhovs-the-seagull/|title=Chekhov's ''The Seagull'', a new online version|website=www.atc.co.nz}}</ref> It was well received by critics around the world, with ''[[The Scotsman]]'' declaring it one of the "best plays to watch online".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/read-this/five-best-plays-watch-online-coming-days-2860095|title=Five of the best plays to watch online in the coming days|newspaper=[[The Scotsman]]}}</ref>

== Analysis and criticism ==
{{expand section|date=August 2011}}
It has been remarked that the play was "a spectacle of waste" (such as at the beginning of the play when Medvedenko asks Masha why she always wears black, she answers "Because I'm in mourning for my life.").<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/03/24/servants-of-art| title=Servants of Art|author=[[Hilton Als]]|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=2008-03-24|access-date=2021-03-14|quote=In the play's opening moments, Masha (the beautiful Marjan Neshat) walks onstage with a lovelorn Medvedenko (Greg Keller) in tow; he asks her, "Why do you always wear black?" and she replies, "Because I'm in mourning for my life." Chekhov suggests that we spend far more time killing life than living it. And the various ways in which we murder our own happiness—through self-absorption, or by rejecting pure-hearted offers of love because we're taken in by glamour—constitute the majority of the play's action. Among other things, ''The Seagull'' is a spectacle of waste.}}
</ref>

The play also has an [[Intertextuality|intertextual]] relationship with [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Hamlet]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Miles|1993|loc=220}}, chapter "Chekhov into English: the case of ''The Seagull''", quote: "A dominant motif in the play is the recurrent Hamlet theme."</ref> Nina and Treplyov quote lines from it before the play-within-a-play in the first act (and this device is itself used in ''Hamlet''). There are many allusions to Shakespearean plot details as well. For instance, Treplyov seeks to win his mother back from the usurping older man Trigorin much as [[Prince Hamlet|Hamlet]] tries to win [[Gertrude (Hamlet)|Queen Gertrude]] back from his uncle [[King Claudius|Claudius]].

Chekov likely wanted to break the standard of theater at the time, in which women only existed as a part of the central male lead.{{citation needed|date=September 2025}} The end of the play shows that "The Seagull", that is, the thing destroyed by the man is Konstantin rather than Nina. Nina will continue to live her life without Boris or Konstantin.

== Translation ==
''The Seagull'' was first translated into English for a performance at the Royalty Theatre, Glasgow, in November 1909.<ref name=ChekhovEnglish>{{cite book|title=Chekhov in English|via=[[British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies]]|date=March 2008|first=Peter|last=Henry|page=3|publisher=Northgate Books|location=Oxford|url=http://www.basees.org.uk/down/Chekhov_Bibliography.pdf|access-date=6 April 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913134146/http://www.basees.org.uk/down/Chekhov_Bibliography.pdf|archive-date=13 September 2008}}</ref> Since that time, there have been numerous translations of the text—between 1998 and 2004 alone there were 25 published versions.<ref name=ChekhovEnglish /> In the introduction to his own version, [[Tom Stoppard]] wrote: "You can't have too many English Seagulls: at the intersection of all of them, the Russian one will be forever elusive."<ref>{{cite book | last = Stoppard | first = Tom | author-link = Tom Stoppard | title = The Seagull | publisher = [[Faber & Faber]] | date = August 2001 | url = https://archive.org/details/seagull00stop | isbn = 978-0-571-19270-0 }}</ref> In fact, the problems start with the title of the play: there's no sea anywhere near the play's settings, so the bird in question was in all likelihood a lake-dwelling [[gull]] such as the common gull (''[[larus canus]]''), rather than a nautical variant. In Russian both kinds of birds are named {{lang|ru|chayka}}, simply meaning "gull", as in English. However, the title persists as it is much more euphonious in English than the much shorter and blunter "The Gull", which comes across as too forceful and direct to represent the encompassing vague and partially hidden feelings beneath the surface. Therefore, the faint reference to the sea has been seen as a more fitting representation of the intent of the play.

Some early translations of ''The Seagull'' have come under criticism from modern Russian scholars. [[S:The Seagull|Marian Fell's translation]], in particular, has been criticized for its elementary mistakes and total ignorance of Russian life and culture.<ref name=ChekhovEnglish /><ref>{{cite news | first=Terry | last=Byrne | title=For ''Seagull'', director dove into translation |date=4 July 2008|url =http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/07/04/for_seagull_director_dove_into_translation/ | work =[[The Boston Globe]]|access-date=6 April 2009}}</ref> Peter France, translator and author of the book ''The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation'', wrote of Chekhov's multiple adaptations:

{{quote|Proliferation and confusion of translation reign in the plays. Throughout the history of Chekhov on the British and American stages we see a version translated, adapted, and cobbled together for each new major production, very often by a theatre director with no knowledge of the original, working from a crib prepared by a Russian with no knowledge of the stage.<ref>{{cite book | last = France | first = Peter | title = The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] | date = 24 February 2000 | page = [https://archive.org/details/oxfordguidetolit00pete/page/600 600] | url = https://archive.org/details/oxfordguidetolit00pete/page/600 | isbn = 978-0-19-818359-4 }}</ref>}}

=== Notable English translations ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Translator
! Year
! Publisher
! Notes
|-
| [[George Calderon]]
| 1909
| Glasgow Repertory Theatre
| This is the first known English translation of ''The Seagull''. This translation premiered at the [[Royalty Theatre, Glasgow]], on 2 November 1909, also directed by Calderon.<ref>{{cite journal|title=A Čexov Anniversary|journal=The Slavic and East European Journal|date=Spring 1960|first=Robert|last=Tracy|volume=4|issue=1|pages=25–34|doi=10.2307/304054|jstor=304054}}</ref>
|-
| [[Marian Fell Library|Marian Fell]]
| 1912
| [[Charles Scribner's Sons]]
| First published English language translation of ''The Seagull'' in the United States, performed at the Bandbox Theatre on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] by the [[Washington Square Players]] in 1916.<ref name=IBDB1916 /> Complete text from [[Project Gutenberg]] here.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1754/1754-h/1754-h.htm |title=''The Sea-gull'', by Anton Checkov |website=Gutenberg.org |access-date=2017-07-06}}</ref>
|-
|Fred Eisemann
|1913
|[[Poet Lore]]
| Appeared in Volume 26, Number 1 (''New Year's 1913'') of ''[[Poet Lore]]'' magazine<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sendich |first1=Munir |date=1985 |title=Anton Chekhov in English: A Comprehensive Bibliography of Works about and by Him (1889–1984)|journal=Russian Language Journal / Русский язык |volume= 39|issue= 132/134|pages=227–379 |publisher= American Councils for International Education ACTR / ACCELS |jstor=43668947}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |user=poetloremag |number=998951651896643584 |title=Did you know? In 1913, ''Poet Lore'' published the first full English translation of Anton Chekhov's, ''The Seagull''. Back then, the playwright's name was transliterated as "Tchekkof". Catch the film adaptation in theaters now!}}</ref>
|-
| [[Constance Garnett]]
| 1923
| [[Bantam Books]]
| Performed on Broadway at the Civic Repertory Theatre in 1929,<ref>{{IBDB name|20184|Civic Repertory Theatre}}</ref> directed by [[Eva Le Gallienne]].
|-
| [[Stark Young]]
| 1939
| [[Charles Scribner's Sons]]
| Used in the 1938 Broadway production starring [[Uta Hagen]] as Nina,<ref name=IBDB1938 /> as well as the 1975 film directed by John Desmond.<ref>{{IMDb title|0215164|The Seagull|(1975 film)}}</ref>
|-
| Elisaveta Fen
| 1954
| [[Penguin Classics]]
| Along with Constance Garnett's translation, this is one of the most widely read translations of ''The Seagull''.<ref>{{cite news|first=Adam|last=Kirsch|title=Chekhov in American|date=July 1997|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97jul/chekhov.htm|work=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=8 February 2009}}</ref>
|-
| [[David Magarshack]]
| 1956
| [[Hill & Wang]]
| Commissioned for the 1956 West End production at the [[Saville Theatre]], directed by Michael Macowan, and starring [[Diana Wynyard]], [[Lyndon Brook]], and [[Hugh Williams]].{{sfn|Miles|1993|loc=242}}
|-
| [[Moura Budberg]]
| 1968
| [[Sidney Lumet]] Productions
| Commissioned and used for the [[The Sea Gull|1968 film]] directed by Sidney Lumet.<ref>{{IMDb title|0063569|The Sea Gull|(1968 film)}}</ref>
|-
| [[Tennessee Williams]]
| 1981
| [[New Directions Publishing]]
| Williams' "free adaptation" is titled ''[[The Notebook of Trigorin]]''. First produced by the [[Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company]] in 1981, the United States premiere occurred at the [[Cincinnati Playhouse]] in 1996, starring [[Lynn Redgrave]] as Madame Arkadina. Williams was still revising the script when he died in 1983.<ref>{{cite news | first=Alvin | last=Klein |author-link= Alvin Klein | title=Theater Review; Start With Chekhov; Add Lots of Williams |date=28 January 2001|url =http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?pagewanted=print&res=9407E1D8173FF93BA15752C0A9679C8B63 | work =[[The New York Times]] |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref>
|-
| Tania Alexander & [[Charles Sturridge]]
| 1985
| Applause Books
| Commissioned and used for the 1985 [[Oxford Playhouse]] production directed by Charles Sturridge and [[Vanessa Redgrave]].
|-
| [[Michael Frayn]]
| 1988
| [[Methuen Publishing]]
| Translated Nina's famous line "I am a seagull", to "I am ''the'' seagull", as in the seagull in Trigorin's story. This was justified by Frayn, in part, because of the non-existence of indefinite or definite articles in the Russian language.<ref>{{cite news | first=Simon | last=Callow |author-link= Simon Callow | title=The play's the thing | date=24 May 2008|url =https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/24/stage | work =[[The Guardian]]|access-date=22 March 2009|location=London}}</ref>
|-
| [[Pam Gems]]
| 1991
| [[Nick Hern Books]]
|
|-
| [[David French (playwright)|David French]]
| 1992
| [[Talonbooks]]
| Used in the 1992 Broadway production by the [[National Actors Theatre]] at the [[Lyceum Theatre (Broadway)|Lyceum Theatre]], directed by [[Marshall W. Mason]] and featuring [[Tyne Daly]], [[Ethan Hawke]], [[Laura Linney]], and [[Jon Voight]].<ref>{{IBDB title|4698|The Seagull|(1992 production)}}</ref>
|-
| [[Paul Schmidt (translator)|Paul Schmidt]]
| 1997
| [[Harper Perennial]]
| Used in the 2008 [[off-Broadway]] production at the [[Classic Stage Company]], starring [[Dianne Wiest]], [[Alan Cumming]], and [[Kelli Garner]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showpage.php?t=seag5711 |title=''The Seagull'' |access-date=6 January 2009 |last=Cino |first=Maggie |date=8 March 2008 |work=nytheater.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522024021/http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showpage.php?t=seag5711 |archive-date=22 May 2008}}</ref>
|-
| [[Tom Stoppard]]
| 1997
| [[Faber & Faber]]
| Premiered at [[The Old Vic]] theatre in London on 28 April 1997. Its United States premiere in July 2001 in New York City drew crowds who sometimes waited 15 hours for tickets.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cinstages.com/article.asp?CinstagenewsID=2118 |title=Press Release: CSC Studio Series Features Anton Chekhov's ''The Seagull'' in New Stoppard Translation |access-date=22 March 2009 |date=19 December 2008 |work=Cinstages.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121020840/http://cinstages.com/article.asp?CinstagenewsID=2118 |archive-date=21 November 2010}}</ref>
|-
| [[Peter Gill (playwright)|Peter Gill]]
| 2000
| [[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]]<ref>{{cite book |title=The Seagull |date=2000 |author1-first=Anton |author1-last=Chekhov |author2-first=Peter |author2-last=Gill |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |isbn=9781840021509 |oclc=1464661343}}</ref>
| Translation commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered at the Swan Theatre on 30 January 2000.<ref>{{cite web |first=Alastaire |last=Macaulay |title=Chekhov's 'Seagull' is set alight |work=The Financial Times |date=3 February 2000 |url=https://www.petergill7.co.uk/works/reviews/seagull_00/ft.shtml}}</ref>
|-
| [[Peter Carson (translator)|Peter Carson]]
| 2002
| [[Penguin Classics]]
|
|-
| [[Christopher Hampton]]
| 2007
| [[Faber & Faber]]
| Used in the [[Royal Court Theatre]]'s 2008 production of ''The Seagull'' at the [[Walter Kerr Theatre]], directed by Ian Rickson and featuring [[Peter Sarsgaard]], [[Kristin Scott Thomas]], [[Mackenzie Crook]] and [[Carey Mulligan]].<ref>{{IBDB title|480037|The Seagull|(2008 production)}}</ref>
|-
| [[Benedict Andrews]]
| 2011
| [[Currency Press]]
| Used in the 2011 production at Sydney's [[Belvoir St Theatre]], starring [[Judy Davis]], [[David Wenham]], [[Emily Barclay]], [[Anita Hegh]], Gareth Davies, Dylan Young and Maeve Dermody, adapted for an Australian setting, with minor dialogue changes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.belvoir.com.au/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=1073225 |title=''The Seagull''|access-date=2011-06-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618015246/http://www.belvoir.com.au/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=1073225 |archive-date=2011-06-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://missfeathers.com.au/the-seagull-as-per-benedict-andrews-vision-at-belvoir-theatre/ |title=''The Seagull'' as per Benedict Andrew's vision at Belvoir Theatre &#124; Miss Feathers |access-date=2011-06-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615153253/http://missfeathers.com.au/the-seagull-as-per-benedict-andrews-vision-at-belvoir-theatre/ |archive-date=2011-06-15}}</ref>
|-
| [[Anya Reiss]]
| 2014
| 
| Premiered at the [[Southwark Playhouse]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/mar/02/the-seagull-review-anya-reiss-chekhov|title=''The Seagull'' review – Anya Reiss's thrilling/frustrating take on Chekhov|first=Clare|last=Brennan|date=1 March 2014|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[David Hare (playwright)|David Hare]]
| 2015
| [[Faber & Faber]]
| Presented at the [[Chichester Festival Theatre]] in tandem with Hare's translations of ''[[Platonov (play)|Platonov]]'' and ''[[Ivanov (play)|Ivanov]]''.<ref>{{cite news|author=Holly Williams |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/platonov-ivanov-and-the-seagull-david-hare-is-determined-to-prove-young-chekhov-is-more-glorious-a6677281.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/platonov-ivanov-and-the-seagull-david-hare-is-determined-to-prove-young-chekhov-is-more-glorious-a6677281.html |archive-date=2022-06-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Platonov, Ivanov and ''The Seagull'': David Hare is determined to prove young Chekhov is more glorious than old Chekhov |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=2015-10-04 |access-date=2017-07-06}}</ref>
|}

== Adaptations ==
=== Theatre ===
The American playwright [[Tennessee Williams]] adapted the play as ''[[The Notebook of Trigorin]]'', which premiered in 1981. That year, [[Thomas Kilroy]]'s adaptation, ''The Seagull'' also premiered at the [[Royal Court Theatre]] in London. The Canadian playwright [[Daniel MacIvor]] wrote an adaptation called ''His Greatness''.

In 2004, American playwright [[Regina Taylor]]'s African-American adaptation, ''Drowning Crow'', was performed on Broadway.

[[Emily Mann (director)|Emily Mann]] wrote and directed an adaptation called ''A Seagull in [[the Hamptons]]''. The play premiered at the [[McCarter Theatre]] May 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mccarter.org/ticketoffice/eventdetail.aspx?page_id=7&event_id=3325= |title=McCarter Theatre Center |website=Mccarter.org |access-date=2017-07-06}}</ref>

[[Libby Appel]] did a new version that premiered in 2011 at the Marin Theatre in Mill Valley using newly discovered material from Chekhov's original manuscripts. In pre-Revolutionary Russia, plays underwent censorship from two sources, the government censor and the directors. The removed passages were saved in the archives of Russia, and unavailable till [[revolutions of 1989|the fall of the Iron Curtain]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marintheatre.org/dramapedia/overview/?id=17 |title=MTC Dramapedia &#124; Overview &#124; Seagull |access-date=2011-02-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20101208172550/http://www.marintheatre.org/dramapedia/overview/?id=17 |archive-date=2010-12-08}}</ref>

In 2011, [[Benedict Andrews]] re-imagined the work as being set on a modern Australian beach in his production of the play at Sydney's Belvoir Theatre, which starred [[Judy Davis]], [[David Wenham]] and Maeve Darmody. He did this to explore the ideas of [[Wikt:liminal|liminal]] space and time.
<!-- No sorces that it ever proceeded:
In October 2011, it was announced that a contemporary [[The Hamptons|Hamptons]]-set film adaptation, ''Relative Insanity'', will be directed by the acting coach [[Larry Moss (acting coach)|Larry Moss]], starring [[David Duchovny]], [[Helen Hunt]], [[Maggie Grace]] and [[Joan Chen]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2011/oct/18/david-duchovny-chekhov-seagull-film "David Duchovny to star in film adaptation of Chekhov's ''The Seagull''"] by Matt Trueman, ''[[The Guardian]]'', 18 October 2011</ref><ref>{{IMDb title|1632723|''Relative Insanity''}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=June 2016}} -->

In 2013, a deconstruction of the play by [[Aaron Posner]], set in the modern day under the title ''[[Stupid Fucking Bird]]'', was premiered at the [[Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company]] in Washington, D.C.; it won the 2014 [[Helen Hayes Award|Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abouttheartists.com/award_categories/111 |title=Helen Hayes Awards: The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical |website=Abouttheartists.com |date=2013-11-10 |access-date=2017-07-06}}</ref> and has been staged widely across American theatres.

In 2014, [[Takarazuka Revue|Takarazuka Revues's]] Star Troupe performed a musical version of the play, which was adapted and directed by Naoko Koyonagi. It starred [[Makoto Rei]] as Konstantin and [[Mirei Shiroki]] as Nina.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ポスター {{!}} 星組公演 『かもめ』 |url=https://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/revue/2014/seagull/poster.html |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=宝塚歌劇公式ホームページ |language=ja}}</ref>

A 2022 gender-fluid adaptation of the Tom Stoppard version was completed by the Doris Place Players to great success in Los Angeles.

In 2022, [[Emilia Clarke]] starred in [[Anya Reiss]]' adaption, directed by [[Jamie Lloyd (director)|Jamie Lloyd]], at the [[Harold Pinter Theatre]] in London. It was described as a unique 21st century modernisation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''The Seagull'' {{!}} Official Box Office {{!}} Harold Pinter Theatre |url=https://www.haroldpintertheatre.co.uk/shows/the-seagull |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=www.haroldpintertheatre.co.uk}}</ref> It was reviewed as "radical, stripped-back, strangely gripping".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Akbar |first=Arifa |date=2022-07-07 |title=''The Seagull'' review – woodchip-walled Chekhov is hypnotic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/jul/07/the-seagull-review-woodchip-walled-chekhov-is-hypnotic |access-date=2025-09-09 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

[[Thomas Bradshaw (playwright)|Thomas Bradshaw]] wrote a modern-day adaptation set in New York's Hudson Valley entitled ''The Seagull/Woodstock, NY''. The play was produced Off-Broadway by [[The New Group]] in 2023 and starred [[Parker Posey]], [[Nat Wolff]], [[Ato Essandoh]], and [[Hari Nef]].

A new version by [[Duncan Macmillan (playwright)|Duncan Macmillan]] and [[Thomas Ostermeier]], starring [[Emma Corrin]] as Nina and [[Cate Blanchett]] as Arkadina, is premiered at London's [[Barbican Centre]] in February 2025. Directed by Ostermeier, the adaptation is also starred [[Priyanga Burford]], [[Tom Burke (actor)|Tom Burke]], [[Tanya Reynolds]], [[Kodi Smit-McPhee]] and [[Jason Watkins]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=''The Seagull'' Play – London West End |url=https://theseagullplay.co.uk |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=The Seagull Play |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rook |first=Olivia |date=2024-08-22 |title=Cate Blanchett and Tom Burke to star in new version of 'The Seagull' |url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/cate-blanchett-and-tom-burke-to-star-in-new-version-of-the-seagull |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=London Theatre |language=en}}</ref> It was met with praise from critics, with [[Arifa Akbar]] of [[The Guardian]] calling it a "masterful staging [that] has tremendous performances"<ref>{{Cite news |last=Akbar |first=Arifa |date=2025-03-06 |title=''The Seagull'' review – Cate Blanchett and an all-star ensemble take wing |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/mar/06/the-seagull-review-cate-blanchett-thomas-ostermeier-barbican-london |access-date=2025-09-09|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> and Demetrious Matheou of [[The Hollywood Reporter]] highlighting Ostermeier's staging as "boisterous, dazzling delight".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matheou |first=Demetrios |date=2025-03-07 |title=''The Seagull'' Theater Review: Cate Blanchett Leads a First-Class Ensemble in Glorious Chekhov Adaptation |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/the-seagull-london-theater-review-cate-blanchett-tom-burke-emma-corrin-chekhov-1236158003/ |access-date=2025-09-09 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|language=en-US}}</ref>

A solo dramatic adaptation titled ''The Gull'', written by Zachary Cohn and starring Joan Korte, premiered off-Broadway at [[The Barrow Group|Barrow Group Theatre]] in March 2025.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Higgins |first1=Molly |title=Chekhov Adaptation ''The Gull'' Will Play Off-Broadway's Barrow Group Theater |url=https://playbill.com/article/chekhov-adaptation-the-gull-will-play-off-broadways-barrow-group-theater |access-date=3 March 2025|magazine=[[Playbill]]|date=March 3, 2025}}</ref>

=== Film ===
[[Sidney Lumet]]'s 1968 film ''[[The Sea Gull]]'' used [[Moura Budberg]]'s translation. The play was also adapted as the Russian film ''[[The Seagull (1972 film)|The Seagull]]'' in 1972.

The 2003 film ''[[Little Lili|La petite Lili]]'' by director [[Claude Miller]], starring [[Ludivine Sagnier]] as Nina renamed Lili, updates Chekhov's play to contemporary France in the world of the cinema.

[[Christian Camargo]] directed a 2014 film adaptation of the play, titled ''[[Days and Nights]]'', set in rural New England during the 1980s. The film starred Camargo, [[William Hurt]], [[Allison Janney]], [[Katie Holmes]], [[Mark Rylance]], and [[Juliet Rylance]].

An American film titled ''[[The Seagull (2018 film)|The Seagull]]'' went into production in 2015.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Daniels|first1=Nia|title=Principal photography underway on ''The Seagull''|url=http://www.kftv.com/news/2015/06/30/principal-photography-underway-on-the-seagull|access-date=June 30, 2015|work=kftv.com|date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> It was released on May 11, 2018, by Sony Pictures Classics; directed by [[Michael Mayer (director)|Michael Mayer]] with a screenplay by [[Stephen Karam]], starring [[Annette Bening]] and [[Saoirse Ronan]].

A contemporary [[Afrikaans language]] film adaptation directed by [[Christiaan Olwagen]], titled ''Die Seemeeu'', debuted at the [[Kyknet]] Silwerskermfees on 23 August 2018. [[Cintaine Schutte]] won the Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of Masha.

=== Opera === 
The play was the basis for the 1974 opera ''[[The Seagull (opera)|The Seagull]]'' by [[Thomas Pasatieri]] to an English [[libretto]] by [[Kenward Elmslie]].

=== Musical ===
The 1987 musical ''[[Birds of Paradise (musical)|Birds of Paradise]]'' by [[Winnie Holzman]] and David Evans is a metatheatrical adaptation, both loosely following the original play and containing a musical version of the play as the Konstantin equivalent's play.

In 2015, the play was adapted into ''Songbird'', a country musical by Michael Kimmel and [[Lolo_(singer)|Lauren Pritchard]].  ''Songbird'' sets its story in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] and centers around Tammy Trip, a fading country star.  Tammy returns to the [[Honky-tonk|honky tonk]] where she got her start to help her estranged son launch his own music career.  The show was produced at [[59E59 Theaters]] and featured [[Kate Baldwin]] and [[Erin Dilly]].  It was recognized as a ''[[New York Times]]'' Critic's Pick.<ref>{{cite news | first=Charles | last=Isherwood|author-link=Charles Isherwood| title=Review: ''Songbird'', a Honky-Tonk Take on Chekhov |date=28 October 2015|url =https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/29/theater/review-songbird-a-honky-tonk-take-on-chekhov.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=9 March 2021}}</ref>

=== Ballet ===
It was made into a ballet by [[John Neumeier]] with his [[Hamburg Ballet]] company in June 2002. This version re-imagined the main characters as coming from the world of dance. Arkadina became a famous prima ballerina, Nina was a young dancer on the brink of her career. Konstantin appeared as a revolutionary young choreographer and Trigorin as an older, more conventional choreographer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/neumeier.htm |title=The Hamburg Ballet – John Neumeier |access-date=2015-11-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625084909/http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/neumeier.htm |archive-date=2011-06-25}}</ref>

An earlier ballet in two acts, by Russian composer [[Rodion Shchedrin]], was first performed at the [[Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow]], in 1980.

== References ==

'''Notes'''
<references />

'''Sources'''
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Allen|2001}}|reference=Allen, David. 2001. ''Performing Chekhov''. London: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-18935-7}}.}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Balukhaty|1952}}|reference=Balukhaty, Sergei Dimitrievich, ed. 1952. '''The Seagull' Produced by Stanislavsky''. Trans. David Magarshack. London: Denis Dobson. New York : Theatre Arts Books.}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Benedetti|1989}}|reference=Benedetti, Jean. 1989. ''Stanislavski: An Introduction''. Revised edition. Original edition published in 1982. London: Methuen. {{ISBN|0-413-50030-6}}.}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Benedetti|1999}}|reference=Benedetti, Jean. 1999. ''Stanislavski: His Life and Art''. Revised edition. Original edition published in 1988. London: Methuen. {{ISBN|0-413-52520-1}}.}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Braun|1981}}|reference=Braun, Edward. 1981. "Stanislavsky and Chekhov". ''The Director and the Stage: From Naturalism to Grotowski''. London: Methuen. p.&nbsp;59–76. {{ISBN|0-413-46300-1}}.}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Chekhov|1920}}|reference=Chekhov, Anton. 1920. ''Letters of Anton Chekhov to His Family and Friends with Biographical Sketch''. Trans. Constance Garnett. New York: Macmillan. [[:gutenberg:6408|Full text available online at Gutenberg]]}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Miles|1993}}|reference=Miles, Patrick. 1993. ''Chekhov on the British Stage''. London: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0-521-38467-2}}.}}
* {{cite book | last= Pavis | first= Patrice |chapter= Dossier Commentaires|title= La Moulette| year= 1984|language=French| location= Arles| publisher =Actes Sud |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/lamouette0000ceho/page/136/mode/2up |chapter-url-access = registration| oclc= 1009445324}},
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Rudnitsky|1981}}|reference=Rudnitsky, Konstantin. 1981. ''Meyerhold the Director''. Trans. George Petrov. Ed. Sydney Schultze. Revised translation of ''Rezhisser Meierkhol'd''. Moscow: Academy of Sciences, 1969. {{ISBN|0-88233-313-5}}.}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Worrall|1996}}|reference=Worrall, Nick. 1996. ''The Moscow Art Theatre''. Theatre Production Studies ser. London and NY: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-05598-9}}.}}

== Further reading ==
*{{cite thesis |last=Duborg |first=Kathleen Joy |date=2014 |title=Unlocking the body, finding the heart : directing Anton Chekhov's The Seagull|doi=10.14288/1.0167602|doi-access=free|degree=Master of Fine Arts|location=Vancouver, Canada |publisher=University of British Columbia|ref=none}} A comprehensive description of the director's vision and process for producing and directing 2014 performances of ''The Seagull'' at the Telus Studio Theatre, University of British Columbia.
* {{cite book|last=Gilman|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Gilman|year=1997|title=Chekhov's Plays: An Opening into Eternity|location=New York|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|isbn=0-300-07256-2|ref=none}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Seagull (Chekhov)|The Seagull}}
* {{wikisource-inline|The Seagull|single=true}}, with audio, as translated by Marian Fell.
* {{StandardEbooks|Standard Ebooks URL=https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/anton-chekhov/the-seagull/constance-garnett}}
* {{gutenberg|no=1754|name=The Sea-Gull}}
* {{IBDB show}}
* [http://ilibrary.ru/text/971/ Full text of ''The Seagull'' in the original Russian]
* [https://archive.today/20070114014513/http://www.rsc.org.uk/onstage/plays/4656.aspx Cast List of 2007/8 RSC Production]
* {{librivox book | title=The Seagull | author=Anton CHEKHOV}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150304195559/http://chekhovtheatreschool.com/ The 120th Anniversary of Chekhov's ''The Seagull'']

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{{Chekhov}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Seagull, The}}
[[Category:1896 plays]]
[[Category:Plays by Anton Chekhov]]
[[Category:Plays adapted into operas]]
[[Category:Plays adapted into ballets]]
[[Category:Russian plays adapted into films]]
[[Category:Russian tragedy plays]]
[[Category:Russian comedy plays]]