The Bear

Summary: 1949 BBC live studio production of Anton Chekhov’s comedy The Bear. The productions of The Bear by Anton Chekhov and The Carrier Pigeon by Eden Phillpotts were presented together as part of a double bill of one-act plays.
Theatre play: The Bear by Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) [more information]
Play synopsis: 'Elena Ivanovna Popova is the beautiful widow of a philandering husband. She has not left her house since his death, and tries to punish his departed soul with her extreme faithfulness. Grigory Stepahnovich Smirnov (the Bear) is owed a large sum of money by her late husband, and arrives to collect. He is desperate for it today; she can’t access the money until her accountant returns tomorrow. Worse, for Smirnov, is that she doesn’t seem to care about his impending bankruptcy. They quarrel, and it looks like a duel may be the next step, except that Smirnov becomes increasingly attracted to the fiery young woman. In his frustration he touches one of her chairs and it breaks in his large paw. This happens again. Fortunately for Popova’s furniture, the play ends in a kiss and a solution for both characters.' (Source: http://www.artsalive.ca/collections/imaginedspaces/index.php/en/activities-and-resources/propsintro/the-vaudevilles-of-chekhov-the-bear; accessed 12 February 2014.)
Production history: Written, published and performed in 1888.
Date of transmission: Wednesday 9 March 1949
Time: 8.30-8.45pm
Channel: BBC Television
Production company: BBC