Stevenson University’s Theater and Media Performance (TMP) is gearing up towards Friday night’s debut of the Spring play: “The Seagull” by Anton Chekhov.

“The Seagull” is a four-act performance that deals with lost opportunities and the clash between generations by through the stories of artists who are guests at a country house in Russia.

“Chekov’s characters are all connected through their passions, rivalries, and unrequited love. The timeless story has been performed around the world and is thought to be one of the greatest plays of the modern era,” Stevenson TMP professor and program coordinator Ryan Clark said. “Featuring themes of love, jealousy, and emotional turmoil, the Seagull has been praised for its realistic dialogue and captivating plot.”

Written as a comedy, “The Seagull” also incorporates lots of interpersonal drama due to its intensity and differences in thoughts about what life should be.

Miriam Walton, a senior TMP major and English minor, plays the lead role of Irena Arkadina, a famous actress in her early 40s who loves the spotlight. Sophomore TMP major and communications minor, Reneé Young plays another lead role of Nina Zarechnaya, a 19-year-old aspiring actress whose parents don’t support her.

“Like our director says, it’s a comedy until it’s not,” Walton said. “The beginning and middle of the play contrast so well with the end of it. It’s a really exciting and emotional thing for the audience to see the plot twist towards the end,” Young added.

Young and Walton agree that audiences should prepare to have their heartstrings pulled as they follow the struggling relationships in “The Seagull.”

“There is such a big contrast from acts one, two, and three to act four, ” said Young. “The symbolism of ‘The Seagull’ is going to hit people in the face.” 

The 90-minute show will be available all weekend at the Inscape Theatre on Greenspring Campus. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for general admission.