NEW YORK—Can short stories morph into theatrical entities? British playwright and actor Miles Malleson has theatricalized two short stories by great Russian authors Anton Chekhov and Leo Tolstoy. These are now being presented by the Mint Theater at its Off-Broadway venue in Manhattan.
By Chekhov
First up of this dual bill is “The Artist,” adapted by Malleson from Chekhov’s “An Artist’s Story,” in which painter Nicov (Alexander Sokovikov) is seen practicing his art in the garden of a country house somewhere in Russia.Nicov is interrupted by a lovely young neighbor, Genya (Anna Lentz), who waxes enthusiastically about the landscape on Nicov’s easel. Moved by her charm, the painter offers the painting to her as a gift.
