A Human Comedy

The Purchase Repertory Theatre presents Anton Chekhov’s “The Three Sisters” Oct. 15 through 23 at Purchase College’s Performing Arts Center.

Chekhov’s existential drama examines the lives of the Prozorov family, who always seem to be making the wrong choices. But if the results are sometimes tragic, director A. Dean Irby also finds humor in the sorrow.

“Chekhov considered his plays to be comedies on life,” says Irby, a member of the Purchase faculty who has acted and directed on Broadway and off. “This production aims to pull out and explore the playwright’s comedic sensibilities as they relate to the characters’ sense of loss at a way of life….”

Director A. Dean Irby is at the helm
of the Purchase Rep’s “The Three Sisters.”

The Purchase Rep is made up of students from the School of the Arts, Conservatory of Theatre Arts. Stage design, lighting, costumes and technical support will be provided by the Conservatory’s Design/Technology program.

Tickets are $20. For more information, call 914-251-6200 or log on to artscenter.org.

Speaking of the Design/Technology program – yes, we were -- it has two distinguished visiting artists this year, scenic designers Karl Eigsti and Santo Loquasto.

Eigsti, who taught at Purchase in the early 1980s, did the sets for the original productions of “Grease,” “Yentl” and “Eubie.” Loquasto’s work is well known to balletomanes (American Ballet Theatre, the Paul Taylor Dance Company) and film buffs (Woody Allen’s “Radio Days” and “Bullets Over Broadway”) alike. Lucky Design and Tech students.

Read Georgette Gouveia’s cultural musings at the artsmuse.blogspot.com, a collaboration with artswestchester.org.