How to make your own rose water!

*This recipe is the more traditional way to prepare rose water. Though it’s a little more involved, its fun to do and the results are outstanding. You can make a quart of excellent-quality rose water in about 40 minutes. However, if you simmer the water too long, you will continue to produce distilled water but the rose essence will become diluted. Your rose water will smell more like plain distilled water, rather than the heavenly scent of roses.

Be sure you have a brick and heat-safe stainless steel or glass quart bowl ready before you begin.

Ingredients:
2-3 quarts fresh roses or rose petals
Water
Ice cubes or crushed ice

1. In the center of a large pot (the speckled blue canning pots are ideal) with an inverted lid (a rounded lid), place a fireplace brick. On top of the brick place the bowl. Put the roses in the pot; add enough flowers to reach the top of the brick. Pour in just enough water to cover the roses. The water should be just above the top of the brick.

2. Place the lid upside down on the pot. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a rolling boil, then lower heat to a slow steady simmer. As soon as the water begins to boil, toss two or three trays of ice cubes (or a bag of ice) on top of the lid.

3. You’ve now created a home still! As the water boils the steam rises, hits the top of the cold lid, and condenses. As it condenses it flows to the center of the lid and drops into the bowl. Every 20 minutes, quickly lift the lid and take out a tablespoon or two of the rose water. It’s time to stop when you have between a pint and a quart of water that smells and tastes strongly like roses.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/rose-water-how-to-make-your-own.html

Micro View: The World of the Play

Place: St. Petersburg, Russia(previously Leningrad)
Time: 1991-1992

1.Russian revolution/October Revolution
"Disorders broke out in Petrograd (renamed Leningrad and now St. Petersburg) in March 1917, and defection of the Petrograd garrison launched the revolution."

http://www.studyrussian.com/history/history.html

-Most locals were still aware and prideful of their city's major historical importance as the starting point for their great revolution that helped end the corruption of tsar rule even though it took place many years ago.

2.The change of the city's name: Leningrad to St. Petersburg
"St. Petersburg(for St. Peter), which is Russia's second largest urban area, was founded in 1703 by the czar Peter the Great. In 1914, the German sounding name was changed to Petrograd(by Peter the Great who liked Dutch culture). Then, after the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924, the Soviet Union changed the city's name to Leningrad. Leningrad became St. Petersburg again 67 years later when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991."

http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzstpetersburg.htm

-Some would argue a year later since some people were trying to hold on the name Leningrad like they were trying to hold on to the "old ways".


3.The Kirov Theater(now again The Mariinsky Theatre)
"A historic theatre of opera and ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimxky-Korsakov received their premieres. The Mariinsky Theatre is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Mariinsky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariinsky_Theatre

-The Mariinsky Theatre holds great historical signficance in St. Petersburg's history of their art, culture, and heritege. It was one of the great theatres that was affected by the Unions fall, but still managed to survive.

4.Vyborg, Russia
"NW European Russia, NW of St. Petersburg and near the Finnish border, on Vyborg Bay and the Gulf of Finland. A Baltic port and railroad junction, it is an export center for lumber. It also has shipyards and industries producing farm machinery, electrical equipment, furniture, and paper. Vyborg was a trading point for Novgorod in the 12th cent. but actually grew around a Swedish castle built there in 1293. Vyborg became a port for the Hanseatic League and was chartered in the 15th cent. In 1710 Peter the Great seized Vyborg, and it was incorporated with Finland (then under Russian sovereignty) in 1812. Before 1917, it was a key transit point for revolutionary literature, arms, and agitators going into Russia."

http://www.answers.com/topic/vyborg

-A crossing point for many people of Russia and Finland. People even came from that far to see performances in St. Petersburg.

5.Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Pathétique
"Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's final symphony, written between February and the end of August 1893. The composer led the first performance in St. Petersburg on October 28 of that year, nine days before his death. The second performance took place 20 days later at a memorial concert. It included some minor corrections that Tchaikovsky had made after the premiere, and was thus the first performance of the work in the form in which it is known today."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._6_(Tchaikovsky)

-This song is a dramatic and historically significant musical composition for Russia and specifically St. Petersburg, and it was played as a sign of the government covering up the tragedy of a coup on Gorbachev. "Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony has proved a popular choice with filmmakers..."

6.Rose Water
"Rose water is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals. Rose water, itself a by-product of the production of rose oil for use in perfume, is used to flavour food, as a component in some cosmetic and medical preparations, and for religious purposes throughout Europe and Asia."

http://www.foodista.com/food/WPCS86D8/rose-water

"....the weather in Russia is not very favorable to grow them. Flowers are expensive, and still people love to give flowers to express their admiration, their friendship, their love. Even when it’s snowing, I see people carrying flowers."

http://www.diplomatrus.com/article.php?id=1790&PHPSESSID=dd4548f38d6c0fb95&l=eng

-Roses were probably not readily available in Russia and definately not affordable at the time of my plays setting, so this would have been a pretty nice gift.

7.Komsomol (Russian Kommunisticheskiy Soyuz Molodyozhi)
"Komsomol served as the youth wing of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the youngest members being fourteen years old, the upper limit for an age of rank and file being 28, while Komsomol functionaries could be older. Younger children could join the allied Pioneers organisation. Komsomol had little direct influence on the Communist Party, and on the government of the Soviet Union. But Komsomol played an important role as a mechanism for teaching the values of the CPSU in the young, and as an organ for introducing the young to the political domain."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komsomol

-Sasha is refered to as a "Komsomol brat" at one point and I think it might show a litttle bit about where he's coming from politically and emotionally as he was probably brought up to stay dedicated to the Party.

8.Rubles
"The ruble or rouble is a unit of currency. It is currently the currency unit of Belarus, Russia, and Transnistria, and was the currency unit of several other countries, notably countries influenced by Russia and the Soviet Union. One ruble is divided into 100 kopecks."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruble

-Since this is what a lot of the theatre's are all about it seemed appropriate that this Russian currency be mentioned.

9.Brezhnev
"Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev; 19 December 1906 [O.S. 6 December 1906] – 10 November 1982 was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (and thus political leader of the Soviet Union) from 1964 to 1982, serving in that position longer than anyone except Joseph Stalin. He was twice Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (head of state), from 7 May 1960 to 15 July 1964, then from 16 June 1977 to his death on 10 November 1982."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonid_Brezhnev
http://countrystudies.us/russia/14.htm

-Another negative political power that shows again how Marya was a little more interested in the new ways(before things went wrong) because of the olds ways having a history of being unpleasant.

10.The Great Patriotic War
"Moscow and Leningrad (now Saint-Petersburg). The two Great Russian cities were to have a key role in this devastating war, but the initial German plans concentrated on the destruction of the Red Army, and the offensive against Moscow. By the beginning of December some German Nazi formations were only about forty km North West of the Moscow Kremlin. By early September 1941 Leningrad was sealed off from the Soviet "mainland" due to German Nazi tanks rapid progress through the Baltic republics. Hitler decided not to take the city by storm but to starve it into submission, and the result of the "900 Days" was the death of nearly 600000 Leningraders."
http://www.infohub.com/vacation_packages/4376.html

"The term Great Patriotic War is used in Russia and some other states of the former Soviet Union to describe their portion of the Second World War from June 22, 1941, to May 9, 1945, against Nazi Germany and its allies. The term is not generally used outside the former Soviet Union."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Patriotic_War_(term)

-The Great Patriotic War proved to be detrimental to the citizens of St. Petersburg, Russia and obviously they show historically infamous to their city and nation as a whole.

Images of the Micro World

Flag of St. Petersburg!















The Leningrad flag!













Russia!!!
















The Marrinksy(Kirov) Theatre St. Petersburg, Russia


-I couldn't figure out how to put the sound byte on this blog but here is a link to the 4 movements of Tchaikovsky's Symphony Pathétique. http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/pcorecordings#link82










Rose Water Sorbet!!!!

Macro View - The World of the Play

1.Russian revolution/October Revolution
"World War I demonstrated tsarist corruption and inefficiency and only patriotism held the poorly equipped army together for a time. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate on March 15, 1917, and he and his family were killed by revolutionists on July 16, 1918. A provisional government under the successive premierships of Prince Lvov and a moderate, Alexander Kerensky, lost ground to the radical, or Bolshevik, wing of the Socialist Democratic Labor Party. On Nov. 7, 1917, the Bolshevik revolution, engineered by N. Lenin (Lenin was the pseudonym taken by Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov) and Leon Trotsky, overthrew the Kerensky government and authority was vested in a Council of People's Commissars, with Lenin as premier. The series of events leading to the revolution was from now on as October Revolution, since Nov 7 was actually Oct 25 under the Old Russian Calendar."

http://www.studyrussian.com/history/history.html

-After the Revolution(though it was many years ago) the Russian citizens were still not interested in being lead by one person again.

2.Fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
"Formerly the dominant republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. Russia is now an independent country.... since the Union's dissolution in December 1991. By the end of the 1980s, severe shortages of basic food supplies (meat, sugar).... the democratisation of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe had irreparably undermined the power of the CPSU and Gorbachev himself. The relaxation of censorship and attempts to create more political openness had the unintended effect of re-awakening long-suppressed nationalist and anti-Russian feelings in the Soviet republics.

http://www.canadiancontent.net/profiles/Russia.html http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Mikhail_Gorbachev#encyclopedia

With the countries abrupt change from socialism/communisim to an attempt at capitalism articles like this one, Russia and Eastern Europe in the 90s: Capitalism kills – concludes study of privatisation era at the link http://socialistworld.net/eng/2009/01/2006.html, were made to express the toll it took on the population."

-When the Soviet Union fell it took a big chunk of Russian art and lifestyle with it, because everything became about money instead of culture.

3.Glasnost
"The policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of 1980s. The word is a transliteration from a Russian word and was frequently used by Gorbachev to specify the policies he believed might help reduce the corruption at the top of the Communist Party and the Soviet government, and moderate the abuse of administrative power in the Central Committee."

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Glasnost

- This was a term that most Russians became familiar with as a new change, whether it be for better, as a "new beginning", or for worse as it was scary for some to change from "the old ways." Seeing things in a new light.

4.Mikhail Gorbachev
(born 2 March 1931) "He is a Russian politician. He was the last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until 1991, and also the last head of state of the USSR, serving from 1988 until its collapse in 1991. Gorbachev's attempts at reforms as well as summit conferences with United States President Ronald Reagan, contributed to the end of the Cold War and also ended the political supremacy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union."

"While Gorbachev's political initiatives were positive for freedom and democracy in the Soviet Union and its Eastern bloc allies, the economic policy of his government gradually brought the country close to disaster."

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Mikhail_Gorbachev#encyclopedia

-He was the politician who coined glasnost so, likewise, some saw him as a good change for the country and others saw him as a threat to communism. Of course some Russians, even though they were once members of the Party, felt that the Party was over and were just along for the ride. They saw him as the only hope of the changes going smoothly.

5.Language
"Russian, (not surprisingly!), is the country's official language. It uses the Cyrillic alphabet (rather than the Latin one used by most Western countries), and contains 33 letters. However, the 120 or so nationalities of the Commonwealth of Independent States speak about 48 other languages. Those of Slavic origin (i.e. Russians, Ukrainians and Belorussians) account for approximately 75% of the total population."

http://www.russoft.org/docs/?doc=752

-Yes, though most people in Russia did in fact speak Russian, it wasn't unlikely for people to adopt some certain phrases of another language.

6. Location
"It shares land borders with the following countries (counter-clockwise from NW to SE): Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland (only through Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. It is also close to the United States and Japan across stretches of water."

http://www.canadiancontent.net/profiles/Russia.html

-Since they were surrounded by other countries, some Russians could try to import some goods from those neighboring nations... for a price.

7.Culture/Social Life
"Theatre, cinema, music and arts are important parts of Russian life; as with other countries funding has fallen for these, and private sponsorship is emerging. Features of Russian culture, which are at the highest of international standards, include the Bolshoi Theatre, Pushkin Art Gallery in Moscow and Mariinsky (Kirov) Theatre and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Russians also spend a considerable amount of their leisure time at the homes of friends and relatives - they place much importance on friendship and family. Consequently anniversaries and birthdays are celebrated with more gusto than expatriates may be used to at home."

http://www.stranslation.com/Russian_Translation/general_facts_about_russia.htm

-At the time of the government's fall the theatres in Russia were seriously affected. Theatres were changing their artistic views and beliefs to try and keep patrons coming because money had beome a lot less leisure. They were throwing out their old styles and traditions to please an ever changing and more critical audience.

8.Soviet coup attempt of 1991
"In 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved following a failed coup by conservative elements who were opposed to Gorbachev's reforms.The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt (19 August - 21 August 1991), also known as the August Putsch or August Coup, was an attempt by a group of members of the Soviet Union's government to take control of the country from Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. The coup leaders were hard-line members of the Communist Party (CPSU) who felt that Gorbachev's reform program had gone too far and that a new union treaty that he had negotiated dispersed too much of the central government's power to the republics."

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Glasnost
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Soviet_coup_attempt_of_1991

-The coup attempt was a serious thing. For a group to have been so opposed to the changes that the president of Russia was making that they try to over throw him was not only bothersome to those who were accepting the changes in hope for a better government, but worrisome to the nation as a whole.

9.Living Standards
"The Soviet system provided accommodation with very low rents, free social services, subsidized vacations, assisted factory canteens, shops and sports facilities. Few of these remain. Prior to price liberalization, food, drink, cigarettes, public transport and utilities were also very cheap.
Today the recent reforms have forced a significant share of the population (especially pensioners) below the poverty line as inflation has outstripped increases in state benefits. There is a developing middle/commercial class involved in legitimate business. Only a very small proportion have become extremely wealthy, commonly known as 'novye Russkie'."

http://www.stranslation.com/Russian_Translation/general_facts_about_russia.htm

-The living conditions were cheaper in old Russia, but not neccessarily better. They were sharing apartments with whoever and whenever and it was decided by someone else.

10.Boris Yeltsin
"The first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999. Yeltsin came to power with a wave of high expectations. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, Yeltsin, vowing to transform Russia's socialist command economy into a free market economy, endorsed price liberalization and privatization programs. ... he was elected president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic with 57% of the vote, becoming the first popularly elected president. But Yeltsin never recovered his popularity after a series of economic and political crises in Russia in the 1990s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Yeltsin

-The early 90s were economically.... a wreck after the dissolution of the USSR and Yeltsin came to power with all these promises of the new government but it wasn't, in any way, a smooth transition. It lead to a lot of corruption through out the country and huge political, social, and economic problems.

Statement: Non-Traditional Casting

When it comes to the gender of the characters in Nagle Jackson’s The Quick-Change Room, it seems to me that most of their characters are best played by the genders they were originally scripted to be. There is in fact the deep rooted struggle for all the female characters like Nina, Marya, and Lena to succeed in their once “great” Communist society that treated women very poorly. If need be Lena’s character could be a portrayed as a male, but I think it gives these characters a stronger drive to change lifestyles(Lena), be respected(Marya), and be taken care of(Nina). Comically it works for Ludmilla to be a woman prima donna dealing with her female aging compared to male aging. Unless you wanted her to be a man playing drag queen in which you have to be careful that the actor doesn’t play it too over the top, especially at points in which the company’s serious up-coming problems are needing to be unveiled. Also, from my research of pre-1992 Russian theatre it doesn’t seem to have drag as a casting possibility as much as with some popular American shows such as Hairspray or Chicago. So, if it’s a concern, playing to an audience that’s in tune with the differences of the time/culture of this Russian theatre may make Ludmilla being a long-reigning drag actor in their company unlikely.
Now the characters of Anna and Nikolai make sense as they are both genders of the young/middle-aged leading actors, but the part of Timofey could become a female if you wanted to add a whole new twist as to why he follows along so easily with Boris in his plans to change the theatre they all loved. Instead of the character just being very military and a strong follower to protocol, she could also have an “interest” in Boris which could lead to more character development for that role. Then again, that interest could also be done with the male version depending on direction. What are Timofey’s motives?

Racially I feel that any of the characters could be played by an ethnic actor, whether they be of an Asian, African, or Hispanic background. If you’re concerned about possible misinterpretation of your cast then you should be aware that during the very abrupt fall of the Russian government during 1991-1992 (and continuing today) the safety of anyone not of Russian nationality was jeopardized. The Russian society has had an incredibly high increase in racist acts towards thoughs of African descent, a lot of which are violent attacks that the police don't even bother to stop. This is believed to be because of the need to place blame for thae collapse of the government/economy because before 1991 there wasn't as many or as severe a racial problem. Also bad media coverage on foreign students who, a long time ago, were discovered selling drugs to pay for school even though that situation has been resolved. All of these issues are mostly the same for Asians as well and it didn't help that the boundary line of China and Russia was moved over where China received more land in 1992. So again, depending on the audience, they might be aware of this struggle for foreigners to co-exists in Russia. Therefore if you made Sergey of an African ancestry it might be seen as his being taken over by Boris more about them not seing him as a "real" Russia, and Boris i trying to get him out. Or if you make Lena Chinese they wanted to fire her and instead of hiring her back later to help Marya, they just kept Ludmilla on as a seamtress/assistant to replace her. It could be misconstrude that way as well.

Characters

Females
Nina - an actress in her 20's; daughter of Marya; ambitious

Marya Stepanova - mother of Nina; Quick-Change Supervisor; "best in the business"

Lena - Marya's assistant; in her late 40's

Ludmilla Nevchenka - prima donna actress; "of a certain age"

Anna - a leading actress with the company, in her young 30's

Males
Sergey Sergeyevich Tarpin - Director of the Kuzlov Theater; in his 60's

Timofey - Sergey's assistant; "martinet", a strict disciplinarian

Nikolai - an actor; middle aged

Boris - box office manager and Procurer; a bear of a man

Sasha - stage electrician; young man in his 20's, possibly 30; Nina's "boyfriend"

Fable 'n Plot Summary

Fable
· Nina(in her 20s) is telling her mother, Marya Stepanova, in comedic detail how Sergey told her she is now the ingénue character in their up-coming production of The Three Sisters. After the story is finished Nina’s mother asks “Did he say anything about me?”
· Sergey is addressing the company and telling about the new show they will be doing, The Three Sisters.
· Back to Nina and her mother Marya. Marya is a seamstress and the Quick-Change Supervisor. She is the best in the business and is offended that during his talk with Nina he didn’t mention her once. She’ll just be “Nina’s mother.” Timofey(assistant to Sergey) makes his 1st appearance and warns them that they are about to quick change the actors coming off stage and tells Nina to go take a nap as Sergey instructed. Meanwhile Lena(in her 40s), Marya’a assistant enters and is preparing for the quick-change that both of them will be participating in.
· As soon as Nina exits Nikolai enters to be changed into his different costume and is bitchin’ about working with the yet to be mention prima donna Ludmilla. She has screwed up her simple line about snow being in the Caucasus and he fixes it with a changed line of his own that shows obvious distain toward her. He exits. Suddenly Lena remembers “The Bloodsucker”(Ludmilla) is about to come offstage for her quick change. Ludmilla(“of a certain age”) enters the quick change room griping about what Nikolai did and expresses her upset feelings about Nina being cast as the ingénue and younger sister in The Three Sisters while she is to play Olga the older, but not old enough, sister. When she exits we see that Marya has purposely not closed her dress all the way in the back and both her and Lena are relishing in the embarrassment and trouble to come.
· Lena tells about her daughter doing so well and that soon they may be able to afford their own apartment where each gets a room of their own, and she points out to Marya that she too will being doing better once Nina becomes a star.
· Boris(the box offices manager and Procurer) is working on making connections with a Fyodor and possibly up to no good, when in eventually walks the young stage electrician named Sasha complaining about the faulty lighting equipment, but is turned away in the end.
· Sergey and Ludmilla are in his office and she is complaining about Nina being too young to be the youngest sister in the show when really it’s all about how much older Nina makes her look. Timofey enters with the same old lighting equipment and starts fussing about it and Ludmilla misunderstands what he’s talking about.
· Sasha and Nina are in a bed together after just making love and as they lay there naked and in discussion Marya enters asking for money so she can invest it in Moscow Nights, Incorporated, which Sasha believes is against the Party(Communism) and probably a company about prostitution.
· The economy starts getting worse as Communism is possibly coming to an end and seats in the theatre are becoming less filled either because of this or because of they show they are doing “Brothers in the Snow”. Anna(another leading actress) tries also to persuade Sergey to change the casting of Ludmilla as Olga to someone else older in The Three Sisters but she uses their previous “relationship” and close friendship to do so.
· As Boris starts watching the theater workers more(for possible cut-backs) Sasha enters the quick-change room during a show and messing up a quick-change where Nikolai barely makes it back out in time. As Nikolai exits Sasha exposes his sudden entrance and alarm is due to the fact that Gorbachev(important political figure) is missing and Communism is more than likely coming to an instant and horribly dysfunctional end.
· In Act II Sergey has to start cutting shows out of their rep that are Communist driven and jumped right into working on The Three Sisters and Boris has fired Sasha as well as many others and is on his way to firing the much needed and loved Lena, who was just planning on getting her dream home with her distant daughter. After Nina returns from walking out Sasha, Boris gets the idea of using scantily clad photos of Nina to bring in the audiences after accidentally seeing her partially nude and Nina uses her new found sexuality to finally persuade Boris into changing the style of The Three Sisters into something a little more sing-y and dance-y, and as Marya witnesses this she finally tells Lena she’s been fired by Boris.
· Boris moves in and starts making changes to the point where job titles have changed and he has kicked Sergey up stairs and moved into his office. Then Boris starts changing the rehearsal process and tells Sergey that though he’s the director he’s changing the show into something a little more… American-style musical. Ludmilla and Anna are completely taken by surprise as Ludmilla is kicked out of the now two sister cast and Anna fears for them all when Sergey refuses to sacrifice his art and is replaced by Timofey, who has been following the orders of Boris. Nikolai doesn’t seem to mind the changes(except for the lack of other actors taking a toll on his performances) but the rest of the cast(or lack thereof) is shattered, all except Nina who seems to be getting her way.
· Lena makes a reappearance to visit Marya and reveals that though it was thought that her daughter was doing well and could support them in turns out that her daughter was actually prostituting and now needed somewhere to stay in the evenings. Marya welcomed to company and unpaid assistance of her old friend. By the way, Nina is the one who brought it up, because she felt persecuted by who mother who was telling Lena about Nina fooling around with Boris to get her way.
· Even though Marya was falling apart at the seams without the much needed help, she now had Ludmilla to assist her since Ludmilla has now been moved to the quick change room as a way of her keeping a job after being with that company for so long. Ludmilla ends up having to pay Lena to train her in the ways of wardrobe, which is only fair since she has a job and Lena doesn’t.
· The Three Sisters was turned into a two sister musical called O’ My Sister starring Nina, Anna, and Nikolai and with a completely changed ending. They end the play with the finale number of O’ My Sister that’s about getting on the Moscow train. A whole new destiny.

Plot Summary

Act I

Scene One - In the quick-change room of the theater Nina tells her mother, Marya, the entire story of how Sergey asked her to play Irina, one of the 3 sisters in Chekhov's play The Three Sisters.

Scene Two - Some where else Sergey, the artistic director, is explaining to the Company why he's decided for the next show to be The Three Sisters, and also the hope that Boris will help get soap for the Company soon.

Scene Three - Marya asks her if during his casting her as Irina and saying such great thing about Nina, if he said anything about her. She is offended that he doesn't mention anything about her and her great skill as the best quick-change supervisor in the business. Timofey, Sergey's assistant, enters to warn them of the approaching quick-change and instructs Nina to take the nap like Sergey told her to. As the warning bell goes off Lena, another seamstress and Marya's quick-change assistant, enters and expresses how happy she is for Nina as she and Marya are preparing for the quick-change. As Nina exits to get out of the way Nikolai, an actor, enters for his quick-change and is griping about how Ludmilla, the aged diva, just got her lines wrong and how he "corrected" it, and all this is happening while they are changing him. After they finish this speedy skill he exits quickly out of the room and back on stage and the ladies start to relax for a second until Lena reminds Marya of "The Bloodsucker". Ludmilla soon enters (fussing as usual) and complaining about Nikolai and questioning how Nina could have possibly gotten the role of Irina. Evetnually Ludmilla leaves to go back on stage with Marya "forgetting" to close the back of Ludmilla's skirt. Lena starts to talk about the good things might be coming for her and her daughter Katya who is away at the Institute. Sasha, a theatre electrician, enters looking for Nina so he can congratulate her, but it eventually turns into a dicussion about how they all make the same money in this "classless" society but he's not allowed in the Artist's Lounge. Nikolai enters again for a quick-change where he notices Sasha for the 1st time though Sasha's been there for seven years. Nikolai exits after his change, laughter is heard on stage and soon Ludmilla is seen at the door declaring her vengence on Marya for what she did with her costume.

Scene Four - Boris is on the phone with a Fyodor and discussing trading rubber windshield wipers, a Turkish rug, three issues of Hustler magazine, and Tatyana the redhead from Warsaw for other things. After his call is over Sasha enters complaining about the dangerous lighting equipment that almost killed and all Boris can say is "inflation is at sixty percent".

Scene Five - Ludmilla is in Sergey's office trying to be as charming as can be so she can sweet talk Sergey into to doing what she wants with the casting of The Three Sisters, worried that with her and Nina's age difference that it looks "abnormal" and he should cast someone else in Nina's role. Timofey soon enters with the same lighting equipment and argument that Sasha had, and he manages to insult Ludmilla's age so she leaves, and then Timofey expresses his concern of increased ticket prices to Sergey, who then reassures him they'll be fine. They still need new lights.

Scene Six - Sasha and Nina have just finished making love and are discussing it with each other when Marya enters and interrupts so she can ask Nina for her money so she can invest it in a company while Sasha disagree with her Capitalism. After Sasha gets dressed and leaves Marya warns Nina when things change even when you don't agree you go with it, speaking of course of the government. Timofey is heard on the P.A. system telling them there will be an Artists' Committee meeting in the Little Committee Room.

Scene Seven - In the Committee Room Sergey is addressing the issue of actors(Ludmilla) being insulted. Then Ludmilla stands and addresses the issue herself and speaks about how times have changed and how people like Marya used to be a real worker and should be kept in her proper place. Sergey then points that no one comes to the meetings either.

Scene Eight - In the Quick-Change Room Lena and Boris are talking about the things he has been trading to get things done and to get things for the theatre. The theatre for the first time in a while had a couple of empty seats, but he hasn't told Sergey. Boris says they need to have more sexy things on the front of the theatre to get attention. Marya eneters and joind in on the conversation of needed items and then Nina enters wearing what she thought something new and interesting since she is going to be a star. It is actually quite cheap and ugly, but Boris assures her not to worry, that she'll be taken care of now.

Scene Nine - In Sergey's office Anna his talking to him about the obvious age difference of Nina and Ludmilla and how no one, no matter how theatrical, is going to believe that they are sisters. It then comes up how they used to be lovers and that she stills cares about him as a good friend and she's only warning him that bad things are gonna happen.

Scene Ten - In the Rehearsal Room Timofey is just starting the rehearsal with the three ladies as Nikolai enters with Sergey close behind. Sergey points out that he is aware that there will be seats empty at that evening's performance of Brothers in the Snow. Then try to work on line This leads into the argument that Ludmilla shouldn't be a sister and of course Ludmilla argues that Nina shouldn't be the youngest sister, Sergey tries to comfort her, but Nina ends up running from the room in tears.

Scene Eleven - Marya and Lena are back in the Quick-Change Room while Boris is sitting around watching them and taking notes. They are be bothered by his judgmental when Nina burst into the room in tears. She goes to her mother and cries about Ludmilla hating her when Nikolai enters afterwards needing help with a costume change. Marya tries to cheer her up before her and Lena leave with Nikolai. Nina ask about Sasha and he's not there, luckily Boris was there to "comfort" her, but Nina was cautious. Here Boris tells of his struggle to take care of one of his boys who is very sick. Marya and Lena re-enters trying to get ready for Nikolai's quick-change that is just about to happen when Sasha rushes in with important news. Sasha get in the way and they change wrong person, then Nikolai comes in waiting to be changed. More confusion insues when Nikolai ends up in Sasha'a pants, but things eventually get back together so Sasha can breaks the news of a coup on the important politician Gorbachev. Leaving the end of this playing music by Tchaikovsky and the whole crew wondering what will happen next for all of Russia.