Abstract: The proposed article examines the current state of Chekhov's plays in theatrical productions in connection with a provocative essay by the English theater critic John Friedman. The aim of the study is to study the problem of the current state of Chekhov's plays in the modern theater and to refute the judgments proposed by D. Friedman about the need to stop Chekhov's productions due to the loss of the original meaning of the plays. In the course of the work, the main provisions of the English critic concerning the playwriting of A.P. Chekhov and the place of the Russian playwright in the modern theater and world literature are examined, and the controversy that arose in Chekhovsky Vestnik in response to an essay among literary critics, theater critics, directors and students. The basis of our research is based on such literary methods as: comparative, analytical, critical, typological, historical and functional. The ambiguity of interpretations of Chekhov's plays has long been a concern for Chekhovs, and the novelty of our research is that this work contributes to the broadening of views on this problem and contributes to the study of today's attitude to Chekhov's plays and the semantic content of his drama. In addition, the point of view of the English critic and the controversy of Chekhov's experts on the work did not previously become independent objects of study. As a result of the work, a conclusion was proposed on the undying interest in Chekhov's plays, the depth of which pushes the directors to constantly rethink them. Thus, the development of modern theater can not be imagined without Chekhov's plays.

Abstract: This article is devoted to the main points of view on possible dates for Anton Chekhov writing his play 'Uncle Vanya'. The aim of the research is to analyze existing theories about the date when Chekhov wrote his play and carry out a detailed analysis of their proof. In the course of her research Gavrilova has referred to a lot of researches devoted to the transformation of the play 'The Wood Demon' to the play 'Uncle Vanya'. Checkhov left very contradictory information about the exact date when the play was written, therefore there are several groups of researchers with different views on the date when the play 'Uncle Vanya' was written. The research is based on such literary methods as comparative, analytical, critical, biographical, and cultural historical. As a result of the research, Gavrilova describes the main views of researchers who studied Ckekhov's creative writing on the date when the play 'Uncle Vanya' was written and analyzes relevant arguments. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that in her research Gavrilova extends a general scope of views on the date when Chekhov wrote his play analyzing not only classical but also contemporary approaches to the problem. As a result of her analysis of the aforesaid theories, the author of the article concludes that despite the fact that the matter is widely studied, the question when Anton Chekhov wrote his play 'Uncle Vanya' still remains. However, due to the great interest of modern researchers to the play 'Uncle Vanya', it is quite likely that future studies of Chekhov's creative writing will cast a light on the exact date of creation of 'Uncle Vanya'.