As a birthday gift to Anton Chekhov, let's try and get the gist of his famous plays right in future adaptations by balancing his style with our sensibilities. On Thursday (Jan. 29), Russians will celebrate the birthday of Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), most famous on these shores for four plays written at the end of his life: The Seagull, The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters and Uncle Vanya. Chekhov's work remains a prominent — and mandatory — study in Russian schools and on its culture. Outside of Russia, Chekhov remains a popular yet mysterious puzzle many literary artists attempt to ... Read More