Unravelling human emotions

Chekhovian drama

A young guy Astrov, sitting with a medical box and few medicines on the table in front, talks about the boredom in his life. As he continues, another young man, Vanya, enters the room.

As their conversation turns to a certain professor and his wife Yelena, the couple make their entry too. Both the young men are in love with Yelena and have on separate occasions expressed their affections to her as well, but she appears disinterested.

This not-so-complex a story, Vanya (named after the main protagonist) was staged by the II year students of National School of Drama (NSD) in their campus recently. Based on the short story Uncle Vanya written by Anton Chekhov, the play does not focus on the drama that revolves around a situation, mood and internal psychological states but concentrates instead on the apparent trivialities of life.

A retired professor Serebrayakov (played by Ravendra Kushwaha) returns to his country estate with a beautiful young wife Yelena (played by Nidhi S Shastri) in tow. The estate originally belonged to Serebrayakov’s first wife, now dead. Her mother and daughter Sonya (Medni Kelamane) and brother Vanya (Chirag Grag) still live on the estate and are frequently visited by a family friend Astrov (Yogendra Singh). Though he is a conscientious doctor, he spends much of time drinking.

Things begin to get complicated when Yelena, Serebrayakov’s second wife arrives on the scene. Both Astrov and Vanya fall in love with Yelena. Worse, there is another triangle as Sonya loves Astrov but Astrov doesn’t reciprocate.

Yelena attempts to help Sonya and wants the latter to convey her feelings to Astrov.  But she is unsuccessful, struggling as she is, to deny her own attraction to Astrov. Vanya becomes aware of the situation even as Yelena decides to leave the place. The same day Serebrayakov gathers the family together to announce his plans to sell off the estate but Vanya protests the move.

Finally, the professor and Yelena decide to move on and Vanyas pledge that ‘everything will be just as it was’.  Vanya and Sonya return to their long deferred work and shortly thereafter, Astrov too departs but leaves Sonya behind.

“The production is largely a creation of students’ work in collaboration and consultation with designers, teachers and guides. The play is about the person who is left behind. He provides a base to others and is taken for granted,” says Tripurari Sharma, the director, who also teaches acting at NSD.

“The play touches the complex themes of wellness, remembrance, love, separation and ownership,” says Tripurari.