LibGuides: Chekhov: A Bibliographic Research Guide: Chekhov on Stage & Screen

Introduction

The category "Chekhoviana," like "Pushkiniana," generally includes every conceivable item related to the author in question (see the description of I.F. Masanov's Chekhoviana, for example). Editions of Chekhov's works and literary criticism of those works is being covered elsewhere in this guide. The focus here is on derivative works based on Chekhov's own -- i.e., on particular productions of his plays, or movies based on his works.

Historical Productions: Reviews and Criticism

A.P. Chekhov v russkoi teatralnoi kritike : kommentirovannaia, antologiia / A.P. Kuzicheva. Moskva: Chekhovskii poligraficheskii kombinat, 1999.

UIUC call no. 891.73 C41 DK9697

This unique anthology collects in one volume a huge number of brief pieces related to critical responses to theatrical adaptations of Chekhov’s works. The anthology was compiled over a span of several years in the manuscript division of the Russian State library. It encompasses materials that would be otherwise extraordinarily time consuming to locate. These include press reviews of play productions, both in the Petersburg and Moscow, and in the provinces. The reaction to Chekhov’s plays are extracted from journals, newspapers, memoirs and letters. The work is divided into two parts, with the first, 1887-1904, covering the period of the author’s life, and the second one, brings the coverage to 1917. For more detailed information on the source see its entry in the Chekhov criticism tab.

Feb-web.ru: Chekhov on Stage

Feb-web has been mentioned several times on this LibGuide as it offers a wealth of information on Chekhov. The image below shows the list of sources Feb-web deemed important in the study of Chekhov on Stage or Чехоб на Сцене. The entries are not full text, but rather bibliographic citations of books on the topic. This would be an excellent source to reference when looking at Chekhoviana in terms of productions of Chekhov's plays over time.

Film

IMDB.com
The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) is a popular resource for finding information about famous actors, directors and film in general. It is also a good source to consult when looking for information for movies based on Chekhov's plays. Much like on YouTube, IMDB has an aggregate page that lists all of the movies and film stage productions that are based on Chekhov's work. Anton Chekhov's main page on IMDB.

FIAF International Film Archive Database This link opens in a new window
The International Index to Film Periodicals contains over 500,000 articles citations from more than 345 periodicals. It offers in-depth coverage of the world's foremost academic and popular film journals. Each entry consists of a full bibliographic description, an abstract and comprehensive headings (biographical names, film titles, and general subjects. This is an excellent database to find articles and reviews for film adaptations of Chekhov's works. The search interface is not that complicated, but there are many fields one can fill for a search. The best tactic is the keyword search using Chekhov's name. Another good tactic is to search in the subject field. FIAF has an extensive thesaurus that is helpful but the term that is most appropriate is: Adaptations. Chekhov, Anton.
Film & Television Literature Index This link opens in a new window
The Film and Television Literature Index is a comprehensive full-text and bibliographic database. It provides cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for hundreds of publications. Much like the FIAF database described above, this database is good for finding movie reviews for adaptations of Chekhov's plays, but it also includes reviews of state productions. Articles from academic journals and periodicals are included. The search interface is a familiar EBSCO interface with multiple search fields. Searching Chekhov's name results in a manageable number of records to browse.

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Mosfilm

If you are interested in Russian/Soviet film you will find a wealth of information as well as full length films on the web. YouTube has an excellent channel with a number of films, the MosFilm Channel. There are an even larger number of films available at the Mosfilm website. Many of the films available here have the option of viewing a version with subtitles or one that is dubbed. There are 580 films available, including film adaptations of Chekhov's works, so if you like films you are bound to find something here to interest you.

All of the movies ... really

If you are interested in tracking virtually any movie produced by the pre-revolutionary Russia and then the Soviet Union on Chekhov or his works, from 1908-present time, you will be interested in this database put together by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

For the latest history of Russian cinema, visit this portal. Here you can search for the recent Russian movies, learn about film festivals, various film-related organizations and people connected with the Russian cinema.

Contemporary Productions: Criticism and Reviews

International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text This link opens in a new window
The Theatre Research Data Center, and the American Society for Theatre Research before it, published 14 volumes of the IBTD. These volumes comprise a full-indexed, cross referenced and annotated databank of over 60,000 journal articles, books, book chapters and dissertation abstracts on all apects of theatre and performance in 126 countries. This is all now available online.

The IBTD is an excellent source for finding articles, reviews and crticism for all aspects of Chekhoviana. Searching Chekhov's name gives more than 400 results from different sources, including newspapers, scholarly journals and other periodicals. It is also a good idea to search specific play or short story titles in this database. Searching The Seagull or The Cherry Orchard, for example, results in more than 400 records as well. Combining the search terms gives the researcher a much more managable results list.
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Play Index This link opens in a new window
Play Index is a database that covers classic and historical plays, new editions and translations and includes annotations that summarize the plot and indicated musical requirements.

Searching Chekhov's name in the database results in more than 300 records; his full name (first name and patronymic included) results in about 100. Most of the records are versions of Chekhov's plays and scripts which include the translator information. This is helpful to someone looking for a specific translation or edition of the text. The search will also result in plays and scripts based on Chekhov's work, another type of Chekhoviana.
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Theatre in Video This link opens in a new window
Theatre in Video is a growing database of streaming video, most of which available electronically for the first time. The scope of this resource is wide, as it aims to cover performances from the 1930s through the 20th century. When complete, Theatre in Video will contain more than 350 full-length plays and documentaries.

Three productions for Chekhov's plays are featured in this database as well as a play about Chekhov's life. As the collection grows, there might be more additions, so it is good to check back often over time.
Performing Arts Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
IIPA covers a broad spectrum of the arts and entertainment industry - including dance, drama, theater, stagecraft, musical theater, circus performance, opera, pantomime, puppetry, magic, performance art, film, television and more. This database is useful to find reviews of stage productions and movie adaptations of Chekhov's works. Combining search terms will work best in looking for specific aspects like costume design, set design and criticism. Searching Chekhov's name ends with more than 3000 results, so there is plenty of information for adaptation based on and inspired by his work.

New York Times Theater reviews
The New York Times grants unprecedented full access to its archives of theater reviews, dating all the way back to 1851. Specific productions can be searched, and browsing is possible by searching Chekhov's name. The search can be limited to specific dates, or to the past few days, weeks or months. Author names can also be searched. The New York Times also has created a page about Anton Chekhov that collects articles, book reviews and other elements from the New York Times and a few links to outside, freely available sources on the Web. The Guardian has a similar page with collective information about Chekhov, including news and reviews

MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
In terms of subject matter, this database covers literature, language and linguistics, literary theory and criticism, folklore, dramatic arts, rhetoric and composition, etc. A more thorough explanation of this source can be found under the Chekhov Criticism tab.
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