‘The Seagull’ on stage at Unadilla Theatre

July 20, 2022  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Burlington actors Maeve McCurdy and Billy Weaver in a scene from 'The Seagull' on stage through July 31 at the Unadilla Theatre in Calais. Photos courtesy the Vermont Theater Festival.

Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” directed by Jeanne Beckwith and produced by Unadilla Theatre (Vermont Theater Festival) is on stage through July 31 at the Unadilla Theatre in Calais. 

Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays with show times at 7:30 p.m. July 21-23, and 28-30, and a Sunday matinee July 31 at 1:30 p.m. 

The play begins with a play within a play being performed on the shore of a lake. The author is young and almost impossibly idealistic and he’s crushed when the play is not well-received by his family and friends. Even worse, his first love gives her heart to a man who is having an affair with the boy’s mother. 

With themes of passion and jealousy, “The Seagull” contrasts ideas about the nature of art and of theater.

Vermont Theater Festival in its summary of the show says: “The characters demonstrate how human conflict, pain, and emptiness make questions about art and philosophy secondary to the trauma of failed relationships and the loss of hope. Incredibly, Chekhov does this through laughter more often than through tears.”

For those who have enjoyed the classics at Unadilla Theatre, this production offers some familiar faces as well as some new. 

The cast invites the public to join them for “a play that explores the human dream of living an extraordinary life.” Audience members are welcome to bring a picnic to eat in the gardens before the show.

Tickets: $25 for adults; $10 for ages 12 and under. Pay at the door, cash or check only. To reserve tickets and for more information: unadilla.org, 802-456-8968, unadilla@pshift.com.