Over the course of three years, director Andre Gregory and a group of actors came together on a voluntary basis in order to better understand Chekhov's work through performance workshops. Staged and filmed entirely within the vacant shell of the then-abandoned and decrepit Amsterdam Theater on 42nd street in New York City, they enacted the play rehearsal style on a bare stage with the actors in street clothes. Free from any commercial demands, their performances were for an invited audience only. Gregory and Malle decided to document the play as they had developed it. The film was the result of the collaborative process.
Directed by
Louis Malle and Andre Gregory
Written by
Anton Chekhov (play "Dyadya Vanya"); David Mamet (play translation); Andre Gregory (screenplay).
Starring
Phoebe Brand (Nanny); Lynn Cohen (Maman); George Gaynes (Serybryakov); Jerry Mayer (Waffles); Julianne Moore (Yelena); Larry Pine (Dr. Astrov); Brooke Smith (Sonya); Wallace Shawn (Vanya); Andre Gregory (Himself); Madhur Jaffrey (Mrs. Chao). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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