Chekhov adaptation 'The Real Ivanov' to play off Broadway this summer

Writer/director Laura Strausfeld's show is a 100-minute adaptation of Ivanov, Anton Chekhov's first staged play, set to have a monthling run.

Summary

• The Real Ivanov will play off Broadway at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater from August 17 to September 19
• The show is a 100-minute comic adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Ivanov
• The complete cast and creative team have been announced

The Real Ivanov, a new adaptation of Ivanov by Anton Chekhov, will play a limited engagement off Broadway at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater from August 17 to September 19, with opening night on August 25.

In writer/director Laura Strausfeld's adaptation, 30something Nikolai Ivanov has gone from charismatic and adored to overwhelmed and depressed. Everyone thinks they know why and Ivanov disagrees with them all, creating a comedy of errors amid the show's theme of despair.

“From start to end, the 1997 Lincoln Center Theater production of Ivanov starring Kevin Kline punked me. It also changed my life,” said Strausfeld in a statement. “Chekhov revealed to me my own despair — and, for the first time, gave me hope that I could be living better.

"Despite my years of therapy, it was Chekhov who had the answers I was looking for. Chekhov is scripture to me. It’s not overblown to say I owe him my life. The Real Ivanov hews close to the original, but removes repetition characteristic of plays from Chekhov's era when theatre acoustics were less optimal, actors demanded more material, and audiences loved to see and be seen at intermission.”

The cast is led by Sam Underwood as Nikolai Ivanov alongside Sam Adegoke as Borkin, Ivory Aquino as Anna, Spencer Aste as Lebedev, William DeMeritt as Kosyk, Jordan Lage as Count Shabyelsky, Sarah Long as Zinaida, Amelia Mason as Sasha, Soph Metcalf as Avdotya, Hagan Oliveras as Dr. Lvov, and Kimberlee Walker as Babakina. Aubyn Heglie and Brendan Titley are understudies.

The creative team includes set and lighting designer Jiyoun Chang, costume designer Ella Matza, and sound designer Brandon Bulls.

Although the Lynn F. Angelson Theater is primarily home to Classic Stage Company, The Real Ivanov is not a CSC production.

Check back for information on The Real Ivanov tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

Photo credit: The Real Ivanov. (Photo courtesy of production)