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TEHRAN- A stage reading of Anton Chekhov\u2019s comic play \u201cA Marriage Proposal\u201d will be held in Mehrab Theater Hall in Tehran on February 20.<\/p>\n
Ali Sarikhani is the director of the reading performance, which will be based on a Persian translation by Nahid Kashichi.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The performance will be held by a cast composed of Mahmoud Reza Soleimani, Mahdieh Mahboubi, Mohammad Rafiei, Kosar Rostami and Emad Sarlak.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Marriage Proposal\u201d is a renowned one-act farce written between 1888 and 1889, premiering in 1890. Known for its rapid pace, witty dialogue, and situational humor, the play exemplifies Chekhov\u2019s mastery of comedic timing and character dynamics. It revolves around a humorous and absurd clash of personalities, highlighting human pettiness and vanity through a lighthearted lens.<\/p>\n
The story centers on Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov, a neighbor of Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov. Lomov, a hypochondriac obsessed with his health, visits Chubukov\u2019s house to propose marriage to the latter\u2019s 25-year-old daughter, Natalya Stepanovna. After receiving Chubukov\u2019s enthusiastic approval, Lomov prepares to make his proposal but is distracted when Natalya enters. In an awkward and comic sequence, Lomov attempts to express his intentions but ends up embroiled in a heated argument with Natalya over the disputed Oxen Meadows, a piece of land dividing their properties. Their dispute causes Lomov to suffer a sudden attack of palpitations and numbness in his leg.<\/p>\n
As the argument intensifies, Chubukov joins in, furious that Lomov would dare propose marriage. He dismissively calls Lomov a \u201cfool,\u201d and, in a fit of rage, orders him out. However, Natalya, realizing Lomov\u2019s intentions, becomes hysterical, begging her father to bring him back. Lomov reenters, and the two resume their quarrel\u2014this time about which dog, Guess or Squeezer, is superior.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The argument exhausts Lomov, who collapses, prompting concern from his hosts. Miraculously, Lomov recovers, and Chubukov practically forces the young couple into accepting the marriage proposal. The play ends with another comedic argument\u2014this time over their dogs\u2014while Chubukov tries to restore calm and offers champagne.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Marriage Proposal\u201d was an immediate success in its early performances in St. Petersburg and Moscow and quickly gained popularity in smaller Russian towns. Tsar Alexander III himself was reportedly fond of the play. Interestingly, Chekhov himself was dismissive of farces as serious literature.<\/p>\n
Throughout the 20th century, the play was adapted and reinterpreted across different cultures and theatrical styles. In the 1920s, Vassar College staged it three times in a single evening, experimenting with realism, expressionism, and constructivism\u2014each version highlighting different emotional and aesthetic dimensions. In one, actors wore masks, leaning towards tragedy, while another featured performers in work suits, tossing a ball in a playground setting.<\/p>\n
In 1935, Soviet theater innovator Vsevolod Meyerhold fused \u201cA Marriage Proposal\u201d with Chekhov\u2019s other short plays, \u201cThe Bear\u201d and \u201cThe Anniversary\u201d, into a three-act piece titled \u201c33 Swoons\u201d, a satirical critique of the pre-revolutionary intelligentsia\u2019s pretensions. The play\u2019s influence extended globally, with adaptations such as the Australian TV version in 1957 and a parody in the 1972 Soviet slapstick film \u201cMy God, Ilya!\u201d.<\/p>\n
More recently, in 2016, the play was staged three times at St. Werburgh\u2019s Church Parish Hall in Manchester, England, demonstrating its enduring appeal. Additionally, Indonesian filmmaker Benyamin Sueb adapted \u201cA Marriage Proposal\u201d into a film called \u201cPinangan\u201d in 1976.<\/p>\n
SAB\/<\/p>\n
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