Premiering Monday in an independent Off Broadway production at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater, The Real Ivanov is writer-director Laura Strausfeld’s tidy 100-minute reduction of Chekhov’s poignant look at a loser. “I feel paralyzed by a kind of stupor,” says Ivanov (Sam Underwood), describing himself as “a whining Hamlet.” His self-loathing is obvious: “I hate my voice, my hands, my thoughts, the clothes, every decision I’ve made!”
A gun appears during the opening moments but does not go off until the ending. In the meantime, two women flutter around Ivanov like moths to a guttering candle. Shrouded in her shawls, Anna (Ivory Aquino), the consumptive wife Ivanov betrays, bravely smiles and clings to him. Sasha (Amelia Mason), a bold young lady mad about Ivanov since girlhood, believes she can rescue him from himself. “Any nineteenth century women would prefer loving an unfortunate man than a fortunate one because we like to have something to do!” Sasha declares. “A man has his work, and love is in the background. For us, love is our life.”
Sasha’s wealthy, fumbling father (Spencer Aste) and cold, stingy mama (Sarah Long) are not pleased by this infatuation. Others include Ivanov’s uncle (Jordan Lage), a shabby aristocrat mistrustful of the world; a drunken doctor (Elijah Guo); a giddy widow (Kimberlee Walker); and a shady cousin (Sam Adegoke) who oversees Ivanov’s failing estate.
Editing and adapting the play into starchy American language, Strausfeld’s slimmed version of the original faithfully traces Chekhov’s plot, Russian locale and 1880s period. Like the text, designer Jiyoun Chang’s setting for the theater’s arena space is minimal. Rugs are spread across a planked floor to denote four locations. Designer Ella Matza dresses everyone modestly in summertime tans and creams but sets Ivanov sharply apart in black and white attire. Strausfeld punctuates the drama by staging a few striking visual moments; particularly during the conclusion when Ivanov is depicted as being trapped and literally squeezed beyond existence by the jabbering people in his narrow world.
Sadly (and not in a good way), The Real Ivanov does not resonate. An inconsistent acting style, overhasty pacing, miscasting in several roles, poor minor performances and a less than charismatic leading man hobble the script’s potential. Staging a drama and directing actors require different skills. Quite possibly a director other than the playwright could have delivered a more satisfying interpretation of Chekhov’s melancholy human comedy.
The Real Ivanov opened August 24, 2026, at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater and runs through September 19. Tickets and information: realivanov.com
