Examine the Russian class structure that emerged following the emancipation of the serfs in 1861, under Tsar Alexander II's rule, and connect it to the array of characters in The Cherry Orchard.

Explore the development of the Moscow Art Theatre, its association with Anton Chekhov, and the impact of its renowned co-director, Konstantin Stanislavsky, on the "method" acting technique later taught by Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg in the United States, and popularized by actors like Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, and Dennis Hopper.

Investigate the treatment of tuberculosis in Russia and Europe at the close of the nineteenth century, and relate your discoveries to Chekhov's life and his role as a physician.

Examine Chekhov's influence on contemporary American drama and on specific playwrights such as David Mamet, Maria Irene Fornes, Spalding Gray, John Guare, Wendy Wasserstein, Neil Simon, and Lillian Hellman.

Research daily life on a provincial estate in late nineteenth-century Russia and correlate your findings to The Cherry Orchard and other works by Chekhov.

Explore the penal conditions in Chekhov's Russia and the playwright's efforts to promote reform in his nonfiction work, Sakhalin Island (1893-94).