As três Irmãs is a philosophical cycle around time. The past that holds you, and the future that seems to never come. We live in an illusionary world, its inertia makes it impossible for the birches to ever shed or bloom. We must work, work. What time is it?
Tchekhov (1860-1904) influenced contemporary dramaturgy with his techniques. He wrote, not only dramatic texts, but also short stories, which date back to our days.