Uncle Vanya tender, sweet as a caress…. You've had no joy in your life; but wait, Uncle Vanya, wait…. We shall rest." Although the play had previous small runs in provincial theatres in 1898, its metropolitan première took place on at the Moscow Art Theatre. Constantin Stanislavski played the role of Astrov while Chekhov's future wife Olga Knipper played Yelena. The initial reviews were favourable yet pointed to defects in both the play and the acting. As the staging and the acting improved over successive performances, however, and as "the public understood better its inner meaning and nuances of feeling," the reviews
Libby Appel "The Magic Fire" (also at the Kennedy Center), "The Merchant of Venice", "Breaking the Silence", "Enrico IV" (the Emperor), "The Seagull" (Portland). (Chronological order, most recent at the top) Appel has completed five commissions from OSF for new versions (from literal translations from Russian to English by Alison Horsley) of "The Cherry Orchard," "The Seagull," "Uncle Vanya," "Three Sisters" and "Ivanov." Libby Appel Libby Appel (born May 14, 1937) served as the fourth artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) from 1995 to June 2007. Appel directed more than 25 productions at OSF, and her artistic vision influenced the