One of the watchwords of nineteenth-century literature was the idea of “realism,” an attempt to focus on the triumphs and tragedies of unremarkable, everyday people. Chekhov was very dedicated to promoting an idea of realism in his theatrical work, and to better serve his plays the Moscow Art Theater under Konstantin Stanislavsky, with whom his work was closely associated, developed a new approach that later became known in the United States as “method acting.” Karasik's lavish production of The Seagull features the work of some of the Soviet Union's finest stage actors of the time. Chekhov's study of an actress, distressed by a life that seems to offer her few easy answers, is presented with great attention to capturing the historical moment that Chekhov was attempting to describe. Her lover, a pompous yet nevertheless successful writer, feeds her insecurities while toying with the emotions of a young woman smitten with him-or at least with his reputation.