"A Marriage Proposal" is a short, one-act play, written by Anton Chekhov in the late 1880s and first performed on stage in 1890. It is an amusing farce, and reading it suggests that it was highly enjoyable to perform and to watch. The plot is simple. Lomov, an aristocratic famer, has come to propose marriage to Natalyia, daughter of his neighbor Chubukov. As he tries to convey his proposal, argument develops over a disputed tract of land between the properties of the two families. Conflict then turns to the question of whose hunting dog is better; and Lomov (a hypochondriac) collapses on the floor in outrage and exhaustion. When Chubukov realizes that Natalyia does in fact want to marry Lomov, he forces a happy reconciliation, which dissolves soon into argument once again. The play's performance entails much in the way of histrionics, outraged argument, all no doubt to the wild laughter of the audience. Readers are encouraged to seek out a video online, of which several are available via YouTube. ( )

And they lived happily ever after -- NOT! Very funny. I'd like to see this one done on stage. ( )

And they lived forever happy. Absurd, comic, dramatic. ( )