For more information on the “Three Sisters” performance or the Russian dinner, call the Stevens Building’s box office at 753-1600.

Well, actually, they’re not Russians. They’re NIU theater majors, and they’ve been here for some time, learning and rehearsing their lines for the debut of “Three Sisters,” a play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.

“Three Sisters,” which opened at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Stevens Building’s O’Connell Theatre, is the story of three sisters and their brother who are trapped in a world from which they long to escape, hoping to return to their childhood home of Moscow. Directed by Christopher Markle, “Three Sisters” is said by critics to be one of Chekhov’s most famous works.

The NIU theater department did not pick this piece by chance & all performances are decided upon by a committee, said David Booth, marketing director for the NIU School of Theatre and Dance.

Booth said the plays to be performed are chosen to fill two specific brackets. One play is chosen for academic purposes & for instance, something classical & to serve as a learning and growth experience for the actors. A second play, like a comedy or a musical, is chosen for general appeal.

Chekhov’s masterpiece was chosen for several reasons.

“This was relatively well-known,” Booth said, “and something that would give the actors a chance to sink their teeth into.”

Starring as a sister-in-law is senior theater major Jennifer Wilson. She beat out about 150 auditioners for her role in the play.

Having played a ghost and an elderly woman in previous parts, Wilson said she’s happy to play someone closer to her age. She says her character begins the play feelings optimistic that the other characters will grow to accept her.

But as the scenes progress, her character, Natasha, becomes bitter and vengeful after having her hopes dashed time and time again. Having to show such extreme emotions was sometimes difficult for Wilson.

“One thing I did have to work on was the breakdown in the first scene,” Wilson said. “It was hard to find that depth of humiliation … I still don’t know if I exactly got it down.”

Although she admits being nervous for opening night, Wilson explained that despite constant practice, there’s always room for improvements.

Preceding Friday night’s performance of “Three Sisters,” the School of Theatre and Dance will host an authentic Russian dinner at 6 p.m. in the Holmes Student Center’s Clara Sperling Skyroom. Tickets are $20 for subscribers, but Booth said accommodations are limited to about 50 people and they fill up fast.

The dinner includes foods that typically would be served in Russia around the turn of the century, namely dishes like chicken kiev, with various sides, and followed by two Russian desserts.