Despite the variety of Chekhov translations available in bookstores and libraries, American directors and actors have sought out these versions by Jean-Claude van Itallie to make them among the most often performed renditions on the American stage. Among the actors who have appeared in the van Itallie versions are Meryl Streep, Irene Worth, Raul Julia, Sam Waterston, F. Murray Abraham, Daniel Seltzer, Dianne Wiest, Leueen MacGrath, Joanne Woodward, Christopher Walken, Blythe Danner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Richard Thomas, Irene Dailey, and Marybeth Hurt.

The van Itallie versions are favored and prized for their fresh clarity, subtle construction, and supple colloquial rhythm. Van Itallie begins with a literal translation and shapes and invigorates the scholarly text until Chekhov’s spirit feels present and familiar.