Bonus Play! The Boor- Chekov

Here is my extra blog play-post...on none other than The Boor by our beloved old Anton Chekov...

Funny story, I've never actually read The Boor until now, sorry Chekov lovers (looking at you, David Coley..even though you'll never read this). It was a very quick and light read, but still very captivating. It is centered around Helena Ivanovna Popov, a mourning widow whom has locked herself inside her estate since her husband died (she's going on month seven in the play), taking no visitors or venturing beyond "these four walls." Her trusty servant, Luka is always at her service, helping to keep any callers away, except for Grigori Smirnov, a proprietor of an estate, who comes to collect his money that the late Nikolai Michalovitch owed him. Popov initially refuses and continually attempts to get Smirnov out of her home, saying she cannot pay him the money at the time, so he should leave until she can. Smirnov does not take no for an answer, so, he stays and gets into some heated yelling matches with Popov, whilst falling in love with her. Popov calls him a monster, a bear, a BOOR but he does not mind, and eventually, confesses his feelings while they are supposed to be dueling with pistols. The end of the play finds the two in an embrace, with Popov uttering the last line that Tobby is not to have any oats. It is a comical one act play, that features love, a wide range of emotions, commitment/faithfulness and death. It is interesting to see Popov go from living in isolation, stating that her "life is over" whilst remaining faithful to her dead husband despite the fact that he was never completely faithful to her, to receiving a house guest that seems to make all of that disappear in an instant. Overall, it is a very quick and concise text that keeps one engaged, and would recommend to anyone to read!

:)