Three Sisters

I didn’t have the guts

To tell Samantha

That I hate Chekhov

Because, Samantha

The Artistic Director

Back in—Jesus, uh—

1996

She loved acting in Chekhov

She used to say

She wished he had written more plays

She cast herself as Arkadina

And then when we did Three Sisters

She wanted to play Masha

And she wanted me to play Olya

Even though, she was older than me

I didn’t mind the whole age thing

It was the play I minded

And to be honest, I don’t even really dislike Chekhov

It’s just that—the audience can’t stand him

Chekhov is fun for actors acting in it

And directors directing it

And people who show up

Specifically because

They LOVE Chekhov

But everybody else just sort of sits there

And thinks about which restaurant they’re going to eat it

After the show

At least, that was my experience

When the show didn’t do well

Samantha was devastated

It was like a personal affront to her

So one night, we go out after the show

And I tell her, because, you know

We were friends

I say—‘Samantha, people just don’t like Chekhov

It’s just, you know, it’s irrelevant

To their lives’

Corsets and longing

And beautiful armchairs?

Who can relate to that shit

You know?

Samantha got a little heated

But the numbers backed me up

I changed the subject though

Because I didn’t want to kick her

When she was down

I took care of the bill

And I went home

To my, you know, my worn-out ugly chair

I checked on my mother

Who, at that point, was in the fourth year

Of her eight-year deathbed residency

I sat down next to year

Looked through some mail

Went and got her a glass of water

This was a nightly thing

My father had passed away

A few years earlier

And I had to come home

Because my brother’s a junkie

Who couldn’t take care of a rock garden

On a good day

My mom asked how the show was

I told her it was fine

She said ‘You’re lying.  You hate Chekhov.’

I said, ‘Yeah, Mom, I do, but what can you do, you know?’

She said, ‘Yeah, yeah.  Make the best of it.’

I said, ‘I always do’

Because I always did

Whatever show I was in

I did the best job I could

But no, they weren’t all great

They weren’t all fond memories

That’s life, you know?

Not everything’s a jump

From one happy moment to the next

Sometimes you’re just trying to get by, right?

So you get by

Sometimes the best you can do

Is get by