Columbia University Players Presents: The Seagull
By Anton Chekhov
Directed by Isabelle Pierce
Produced by Madeleine Williams and Sarah Robertson

This female-centered adaptation of Chekov’s “The Seagull” turns a classically male narrative on its head. As rural Russia is reimagined in a modern setting, this character-driven ensemble production explores how male artists fetishize female suffering and romanticize rural poverty in order to display their own anguish⁠— as long as they can return to the refuge of their city apartments when the weekend is through. But what happens to those lacking the wealth and power to participate in this so-called bohemian world? This darkly poignant comedy reveals the perverted narcissism of the bourgeoisie, the selfishness and inevitable destruction of longing, and the calamitous effects of vodka, birds, and a readily available firearm.