Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2012

Published In

CLCWEB

Abstract

In his article "Evans's The Turducken and Chekhov's The Seagull" Brian R. Johnson approaches The Turducken as a travesty of The Seagull, examining six iconic scenes from The Seagull, in order to explore the satirical effect of the altered scenes. In December of 2008, Bedlam Theatre of Minneapolis presented The Turducken, "a holiday dinner theater spectacular inspired by Anton Chekhov's The Seagull." Playwright Josef Evans takes Chekhov's 1895 work and turns the classic piece into a musical and farcical satire. The plot of The Turducken follows the plot of The Seagull, and some scenes in The Turducken are recognizable as scenes from Chekhov's play, albeit in a significantly altered form. The framing of The Seagull within The Turducken serves as meta-commentary on the misreception and misinterpretation of Chekhov in the United States and establishes a predominant line of satire within the piece. However, the greater part of the satire and humor in The Turducken stems from the liberal rewriting and reinterpretation of The Seagull.

Comments

This work is freely available courtesy of Purdue University Press.

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