Sam Underwood and More in THE REAL IVANOV…

You can now get a first look at production photos for the world premiere of The Real Ivanov, a 100-minute adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s first staged play, Ivanov, by writer and Chekhov scholar Laura Strausfeld who also directs. Strausfeld’s faithful and fast-paced adaptation centers the comedy in Chekhov’s prescient play about living with despair. This strictly limited engagement will run through September 19, 2026, at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater.

In the course of a year, Nikolai Ivanov—mid-30s, once charismatic and admired—has become overwhelmed and depressed. Everyone around him thinks they know why. Ivanov isn’t convinced. This gripping adaptation captures the central insight of Chekhov’s first masterpiece: misunderstanding one another is both comic and calamitous.

Sam Underwood stars as Nikolai Ivanov and leads an ensemble cast that includes Sam Adegoke as Borkin, Ivory Aquino as Anna, Spencer Aste as Lebedev, William DeMeritt as Kosyk, Elijah Guo as Dr. Lvov, Jordan Lage as Count Shabyelsky, Sarah Long as Zinaida, Amelia Mason as Sasha, Soph Metcalf as Avdotya, and Kimberlee Walker as Babakina, in addition to understudies Aubyn Heglie and Brendan Titley.

‘Photo credit: Russ Rowland