''Tatiana Repina'' (russian: Татьяна Репина) is a one-act drama by

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

, written in 1889, as a

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

Alexey Suvorin Aleksei Sergeyevich Suvorin (Russian: Алексей Сергеевич Суворин, 11 September 1834, Korshevo, Voronezh Governorate – 11 August 1912, Tsarskoye Selo) was a Russian newspaper and book publisher and journalist whose publ ...

's play ''Tatiana Repina'', with the dedication to the author. The play was written as a private joke from Chekhov to his friend Suvorin and it was not published or performed in Chekhov's lifetime. The only printed copy was discovered among Suvorin's papers in 1912, after his death. Chekhov's ''Tatyana Repina'' was published for the first time in 1924.Commentaries to Татьяна Репина
Чехов А. П. Полное собрание сочинений и писем: В 30 т. Сочинения: В 18 т. / АН СССР. Ин-т мировой лит. им. А. М. Горького. — М.: Наука, 1974—1982. Т. 12. Пьесы. 1889—1891. // М.: Наука, 1978. — С. 77—95.

Background

In November 1881 Russia was shocked by the death of the young actress Yevlaliya Kadmina, who, while being engaged in the leading role of ''Vasilissa Melentyeva'', the play by

Alexander Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Остро́вский; ) was a Russian playwright, generally considered the greatest representative of the Russian realistic period. The author of 47 origina ...

, spotted her estranged fiance in the audience with his new girl, went to take poison during the break, then collapsed on stage and six days later died in hospital. Among the several authors who felt inspired enough to recreate this story in their work (

Ivan Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...

and

Alexander Kuprin Aleksandr Ivanovich Kuprin (russian: link=no, Александр Иванович Куприн; – 25 August 1938) was a Russian writer best known for his novels ''The Duel'' (1905)Kuprin scholar Nicholas Luker, in his biography ''A ...

included) was

, whose drama ''Tatyana Repina'', premiered at the

Alexandrinka The Alexandrinsky Theatre (russian: Александринский театр) or National Drama Theatre of Russia is a theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The Alexandrinsky Theatre was built for the Imperial troupe of Petersburg (Imperial trou ...

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

in December 1888 and at the Moscow's

Maly Theatre The Maly Theatre, or Mali Theatre, may refer to one of several different theatres: * The Maly Theatre (Moscow), also known as The State Academic Maly Theatre of Russia, in Moscow (founded in 1756 and given its own building in 1824) * The Maly Thea ...

on 16 January 1889. Chekhov was friends with Suvorin and actively participated in the production of his "Tatyana Repina" play in Moscow.

History

Chekhov's version of "Tatiana Repina" (which features the same characters but a different plotline) tells the story of a church wedding of Olenina and Sabinin, and the hysteria in the crowd of "The Lady in Black", who was mistaken for Tatiana Repina (the actress who dies of poison in the final act of Suvorin's drama). The demonstration of a religious service on stage made the publication of Chekhov's play impossible.

Characters

* Olenina * Kokoshkina * Matveyev * Sonenstein * Sabinin * Kotelnikov * Kokoshkin * Patronnikov * Volgin, a young officer * Student * Young lady * Father Ivan, cathedral archpriest, and old man of 70 years * Father Nicholas * Father Alexey * Deacon * Sexton * Kuzma, the church watchman. * The Lady in Black * Prosecutor * Actors and actresses

References

{{Authority control Plays by Anton Chekhov 1889 plays