Stefán Karl in The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
Played the role of Simeon Panteleyitch Ephikhodof from 2000 to 2001
“Simeon Panteleyitch Ephikhodof is a young clerk who works on the estate. He is a comic character, and his nickname is “Twenty-Two Misfortunes” (or “Two and Twenty Hard Knocks,” depending on the translation). His entrances and exits are generally marked by his falling on or off stage. He is infatuated with Dunyasha, but she does not return his interest. At the end of the play, Lopakhin employs him. Ephikhodof is an optimistic figure, because despite the disasters which constantly follow him, he is always relatively happy. He accepts fate as it comes to him, and he deals with it calmly, if not gracefully. He also has an enormous capacity to laugh at himself, and this ability perhaps contributes to his good humor. Perhaps his significance is that we should never take ourselves too seriously: if we do, we will be disappointed, but if we don’t, we can still be content even under adversity.”
