Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) was a Russian playwright and author. He is considered to be one of the greatest writers of short fiction in history. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his best short stories are held in high esteem. Chekhov practiced as a medical doctor throughout most of his literary career. “Medicine is my lawful wife,” he once said, “and literature is my mistress.”

Chekhov renounced the theatre after the reception of The Seagull in 1896, but the play was revived to acclaim in 1898 by Konstantin Stanislavski's Moscow Art Theatre, which subsequently also produced Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and premiered his last two plays, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. These four works presented a challenge to the acting ensemble as well as to audiences, because in place of conventional action, Chekhov highlighted the depths of human nature, the hidden significance of everyday events, and the fine line between comedy and tragedy. Chekhov died of tuberculosis on July 15, 1904, in Badenweiler, Germany.