Three Sisters

“They’ll forget us. Such is our fate, there is no help for it. What seems to us serious, significant, very important, will one day be forgotten or will seem unimportant.” So says Lt. Col. Vershinin (Earl Victorine) in one of the many melancholic moments of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters, now at Sacramento City College’s Art Court Theater, under the direction of Adrienne Sher.

Over four scenes, we watch the three sisters of the Prozorov family, and the others who inhabit the house, run the gamut of emotions, from the sheer joy of young Irina (Samantha Hannum) on the morning of her 20th birthday to the overwhelming depression of the whole household five years later.

This is a powerful, moving, sometimes funny production with an excellent cast. The sisters are played by Megan Aldrich (Olga), Nina Dramer (Masha) and Hannum. Each has her own personality: stern Olga, forced to be the family leader following the death of their father; Masha, stuck in an unhappy marriage and secretly in love with Vershinin; and Irina, whose idealistic dreams slowly die with the passage of time.

Brother Andrey (Thomas Dean) is a talented young man with no drive whose best job seems to be head of the village council. Wife Natasha (Devon LaBar), the subject of derision for her fashion choices, becomes the shrew of the household.

Also outstanding are Tom Rhatigan as Dr. Chebutikin, an eccentric alcoholic doctor, Sean Thomas Olivares as Soleni, a social misfit in love with Irina; and Paul Scott as Baron Tuzenbach, also in love with Irina.

With all of their problems, the emotional connection among the sisters remains strong and is the tie that holds this family together.