Three of his plays have survived the ravages of time - "The Seagull," recently produced at Wisconsin Lutheran College, "The Cherry Orchard," staged at The Milwaukee Rep, and now "The Three Sisters," which just opened by The Windfall Theatre at the Village Church Arts, 130 E. Juneau Ave., Milwaukee. It is gratifying that some of these old classics still speak to modern audiences.

The themes of family, societal class structure, the roles of work and education, progress and the pursuit of that elusive commodity called happiness are all played out. It is a drama replete with dreams, ennui, frustration and a great deal of philosophizing, which often typifies Chekhov's work.

The entire drama unfolds on the Prozorov estate in a provincial town far from Moscow. The remote setting accounts for the restlessness of many of the characters. There is a military base in town, and many figures from that location come and go. The sisters' father, deceased one year when the play begins, was the battery commander until he died; thus the family's connection to the military. Their mother is also dead.

The sisters - Olga, Masha, and Irina - all in their 20s, are in turmoil as the play opens. Olga feels overworked in her job as a teacher, Masha is in a very unsatisfying marriage to an older schoolmaster and Irina, the youngest, longs to go to Moscow to find meaningful work and a husband. Their brother Andrei is a musician and a scholar and dreams of being a professor.

The proximity of the military definitely affects the sisters' lives. Several of them fall in love with the beautiful Irina, and Masha is infatuated with the married but fascinating Vershinin, the newly appointed battery commander.

Olga, the responsible mother figure, tries to take care of everyone, but often neglects her own needs in the process. She is the responsible but lonely oldest sister.

The strong sense of societal stratification comes through in the marriage of Andrei to the peasant girl, Natasha. Her entrance into the family turns the house upside down, even affecting their long-time servant Anfisa. The serf has become the master.

A sterling cast enacts the drama. Carol Zippel, Amy Hansmann and Bethany Logocki are all masterful in individuating their roles as Olga, Masha and Irina, respectively. Other outstanding performances are rendered by Ken Williams as the troubled Andrei, Liz Mistele as the haughty Natasha, Robert W. C. Kennedy as Vershinin, the compelling battery commander, David Ferrie as the simpleminded Kulygin, Michael Kane as the cynical Chebutykin and Gladys Chmiel as the loyal servant Anfisa.

Director Maureen Kilmurry skillfully recreated this rich drama, one that reflected a remote time and place and yet resonated with universal human themes - the search for love and meaningful work, the fear of and hope for the future and the desire of each person to contribute something lasting, to make sense of one's existence.

The irony is that the play ends with only two happy characters - the somewhat delusional schoolmaster Kulygin and the servant Anfisa, whom Olga has rescued from the hands of the ruthless Natasha.

Don't miss this powerful experience. "The Three Sisters" runs through Feb. 27. Call 414-332-3963 for tickets. You won't regret visiting The Village Playhouse in the Village Church on Juneau, a church whose three-fold mission is to explore spirituality, community and the arts.