Fortune's Fool

Elysa Gardner, USA Today
"A mix of wit and heart that many of today's comic writers would do well to study."

Book Description
Fortune's Fool had its Broadway premiere a century and a half after it was written (1848) and proceeded to win two Tony Awards for the highly acclaimed performances of its stars, Alan Bates and Frank Langella, as well as a Tony nomination for best play. Set in the Russian countryside of grand houses and serfs, the play depicts the tragicomic events precipitated by the return of a young heiress to her family estate. As the members of the household bait and react to each other, the first act ends in a stunning revelation that will impact all the principals. In the bittersweet conclusion, everyone must pick up the pieces and move on with their lives.

About the Author
Ivan Turgenev is considered one of the foremost Russian writers. He is the author of Fathers and Sons and Torrents of Spring. Mike Poulton has adapted Chekhov's Uncle Vanya for the Roundabout Theatre and Strindberg's Dance of Death and several other plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company.


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Set in the Russian countryside of grand houses and thousands of serfs, this play depicts the tragicomic events precipitated by the return of the young heiress, Olga, to her family estate. The leading characters are Kuzovkin, a penniless nobleman who has been tricked out of his fortune and has been living in charity on Olga's estate, and Tropatchov, his wealthy, arrogant, and effete neighbor. As they bait and react to each other, the first act ends in a stunning revelation that will impact on all the principals. In the bittersweet conclusion, everyone must pick up the pieces and move on with their lives.


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