Uncle Vanya is a play portraying the visit of an elderly professor and his glamorous, much younger second wife, Yeléna, to the rural estate that supports their urban lifestyle. Two friends, Vanya, brother of the Professor''s late first wife, who has long managed the estate, and Astrov, the local Doctor, both fall under Yelena''s spell, while bemoaning the ennui of their provincial existence. In ''The Swan Song an aging actor reminisces about his life. It takes a tragic look at ambition and the sacrifices made in order to succeed. Anton was a Russian physsician, dramaturge and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. Chekhov practiced as a medical doctor throughout most of his literary career.