MISHAWAKA -- Bethel’s Theatre Department will perform its Fall Studio Play, “Three Sisters,” on Friday, Sept. 27, and Saturday, Sept.28. Both days have a 7:30 p.m., performance in the Everest-Rohrer Auditorium, and there is an additional performance on Saturday at 1 p.m., in the Paqui and Brian Kelly Auditorium. The production will be guest-directed by professional actor, Clarence Gilyard, who acted in both Die Hard and The Karate Kid Part II. If you want to know more about the play or are interested in tickets, contact Barb.Franklin@BethelUniversity.edu.
Bethel’s current production, Three Sisters, is an enrapturing, complex story written by Anton Chekov and translated into English by Lanford Wilson. The play is set in a Russian provincial town, spanning roughly six years: 1899 to 1905. Acts 1 and 2 have roughly two years between their subsequent acts, whereas six months pass between the third and final acts. Three Sisters delineates life in a small, Russian town at the turn of the twentieth century, following the eponymous three sisters, the not-so-eponymous one brother, and a rogue’s gallery of Russian soldiers as they all deal with the tumultuous, exhausting, and invariably relatable concept of family relationships. The beginning of every act reintroduces the characters, showing the audience the crucial character development from which the play derives its plot. The characters are constantly evolving - experiencing new challenges, obstacles, and issues within their home life. Offering a convincing window into early-twentieth-century Russia, performed by a panoply of talented students, and directed by a true visionary professional, Bethel University’s Three Sisters promises to be a golden experience.