Over 400 students and community members watched as Missouri Western students proudly brought to life Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” this past week. Director Alan Arrivée hoped to provoke thought in the audience asking simply: What will they think of us in a hundred, two-hundred years? The performance not only succeeded by bringing this enduring question to life on stage but also made it easy to connect with each of the characters and their personal struggles.

In “Uncle Vanya” there is something for everyone. Growing old, love, the pursuit of love and struggles with alcohol are topics most people can find some way to relate with. Each major character’s personal struggle added depth to the story without shadowing the deeper message. Instead, the individual struggles show how unfair life can be. These struggles also opened the door for comedic elements in the play, offering relief for the more serious elements.

“Uncle Vanya” is actually a reworking of “The Wood Demon,” a Chekhov play written years earlier. Both Chekhov works are environmentally conscious, a concept that was very premature for the time it was written. It is hard to imagine Chekhov could actually predict the environmental issues facing the world today. It is more likely that Chekhov used the environmental references to show the relationship mankind has with nature. Regardless, the idea of forest conservation offered yet another way for the audience to connect.

Unfortunately, the play’s message was not heard by the large majority of Western and the community. With less than 10 percent of Western’s population in attendance, the biggest disappointment was the amount of applause, or lack thereof, following the performance. Not to say that the audience wasn’t clapping for the job well done, but there was not enough audience to give the cast, crew and director the praise they deserve. For students, staff and faculty, admission was free. It is unfortunate more support was not shown from the student body at Western. Another round of applause is entitled to all parties involved.

For those who attended, it would be hard to leave and not evaluate things in your own life or society. Chekhov did not intend for his work to be life changing, but the ideas presented are definitely worthy of consideration. “Uncle Vanya” was the first in a series of prophetic plays this year. If the future performances in this series are done this well, the upcoming plays should definitely see better attendance.