Engen and Siefert will share the stage—actually historic Minnesota homes and the surrounding grounds—with four performers known for their work with Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater, Jungle Theater, and Theatre de la Jeune Leune. The production will also feature local actors and musicians in each community.

This project began in 2011 when Engen, associate professor and chair of Augsburg’s theater program, and Siefert, head of the undergraduate theatre performance program at the University of Minnesota, collaborated to create the condensed version of Chekhov’s play with their Twin Cities colleagues and Sarah Myers, assistant professor of theater at Augsburg. The group premiered the production last summer in the Lind House in New Ulm, Minn.

Engen said she and Siefert decided to expand the project in 2012 in order to work with local actors, including high school students who may be interested in studying theater at Augsburg, and to bring classical theater to people who might not have had a chance to experience it. “When you bring meaningful literature to a community, you show people how the stories relate to their lives.”

The Cherry Orchard documents a family’s loss of their estate, an issue faced by Minnesota families who have experienced farm foreclosures. “After the show, people always stick around and grab our hands and say how much they enjoyed the experience,” Engen said.

For Engen, performing in seven shows a week for five weeks helps her dive back into the subject she teaches. “To be performing such a long run and such a significant role in Western literature is a great re-check-in with material I’m teaching in my acting classes,” she said. “It’s fantastic for me to have that opportunity to leave the expectations of my teaching world in the summer and to focus on performing.”

After teaching for 20 years, Engen said that both she and Siefert believe this project has been a meaningful part of their professional careers. “We feel like we hit on something that helps us do our art and, at the same time, make a difference and show what theater can do for a person’s life.”

The production is being made possible by an Arts Tour Minnesota grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Performance schedule:

Kenyon, MN, Historic Gunderson House,

July 11, 12, 13 at 7:30 p.m.; July 14 at 3 and 7:30 p.m.; July 15 at 3 and 7 p.m.

Little Falls, Historic Musser Mansion at Linden Hills, 608 Highland Avenue

July 18, 19, 20 at 7:30 p.m.; July 21 at 3 and 7:30 p.m.; July 22 at 3 and 7 p.m.

Taylors Falls, Historic Folsom House

July 25, 26, 27 at 7:30 p.m.; July 28 at 3 and 7:30 p.m.; July 29 at 3 and 7 p.m.

Worthington, Historic Dayton House

August 1, 2, 3 at 7:30 p.m.; August 4 at 3 and 7:30 p.m.; August 5 at 3 p.m. 7 p.m.

Blue Earth, MN, Historic Wakefield House, 405 East 6th Street

August 8, 9, 10 at 7:30 p.m.; August 11 at 3 and 7:30 p.m.; August 12 at 3 and 7 p.m.

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This production focuses on the struggles of a family in the throes of losing their estate through foreclosure and was chosen to bring attention to the rash of farm foreclosures in the Southern Minnesota farming community. Although inherently tragic, this production will illuminate the comedic and eccentric nature of Chekhov’s rich characters. Actors dressed in period costumes will lead up to 30 audience members into the home and through the grounds to experience the interplay of the characters from a very close proximity.

Luverne Seifert ’83, a professional actor/director in the Twin Cities and head of undergraduate theatre performance at the University of Minnesota, is spearheading the project. Sarah Agnew, Nathan Keepers, and Eriq Nelson perform in the play along with Augsburg theater professors Darcey Engen ’88 and Sarah Myers. Myers did the adaptation of the text and is plays Dunyasha.

The production is being made possible by an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and is also sponsored in part by the Schell’s Brewing Co.

Show dates:

July 28 – 7 and 9 p.m.

July 29 – 7 and 9 p.m.

July 30 – 7 and 9p.m.

July 31 – 2 p.m.

Tickets for the production are $15 and can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/181880.

Submitted by Darcey Engen

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Here Kat Lutze [right], a sophomore majoring in arts administration with a specialization in theatre, discusses her experience playing Olga, the oldest of the three sisters. Lutze is joined by junior Shannon O’Brien [left] who plays Maria and sophomore Abbey Ehling [center] who plays Irina.

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Probably the most enjoyable and most challenging part of The Three Sisters has been learning and interpreting Chekhov’s realism and humor. We are supposed to play as realistically as possible. This means we don’t play humorous lines for laughs and we don’t play tragic lines for sympathy. We try to represent the situations as realistically and as straightforward as possible. The challenge here is in choosing very specifically where to focus a scene and where to really drive the scene. I truly enjoyed working with Martha to find and interpret these moments.

I have never portrayed a more realistic period character. In other shows I have played characters with over-the-top accents, old ladies, animals and other creatures, and even as numerous Shakespearian men. Martha (Johnson) constantly had to remind me that Olga is a strong woman with integrity. She may have tragedy in here life and she may be tired, but I should never act as such. I should always act the strong woman with integrity and let the words, not my “acted emotion,” display her tiredness and her tragedy.

The Three Sisters is a classic that any scholar should certainly be encouraged to see, but it also includes philosophy by which we can all live. Though many characters say “What difference does it make?” these sisters stand by each other through times both happy and sad and encourage each other to keep on working and living so that in the end people can learn from their suffering. Olga looks to a future where “suffering will turn to joy for the people who come after us. Their lives will be happy and peaceful and they’ll remember us kindly and bless us!”

We are the people who come after these three sisters. It leads us to question whether our lives really are as bright as these characters believed they would be. But even those who do not see plays for philosophy can be entertained by both the comedic and tragic elements in the main plot. It is a thoughtful play full of love, deception, yearning, philosophy, and redemption. I do hope you’ll enjoy it.

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The Three Sisters is directed by Martha Johnson. Remaining performances are November 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. and November 15 at 3 p.m. Call 612-330-1257 for tickets.

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