ABSTRACT
If it did not prove anything very new or very great in regard to the work of Anton Chekhov, the Pioneers’ triple bill at the St. Martin's yesterday proved, at any rate, one thing. It proved that directly you get to action on the stage you get to convention, and the play has immediately to range itself with hosts of others - not always to its advantage. So long as it is a question of sitting around in a vague atmosphere, emitting a humorous melancholy, there is always a chance of a fresh point of view. But when even the author of ‘The Cherry Orchard’ and ‘The Seagull’ comes to solid earth he is instantly ‘up against it’ in the way of precedent.
