Taylor “was struck by the connection of Chekhov's characters to the past, as descendants of serfs – enslaved servants in Russia” (Jones). Taylor set his version in South Carolina, where many generations of black families have lived. She saw the parallels between a Russian family attached to the slavery of their past and an African-American family struggling to keep their children connected to the sacrifices of their ancestors. Her strength in combining different cultural thoughts of theater expanded African American theater because it made it more relevant and accessible to people of other cultures. It shows people how similar they are to those who seem exceptionally different. This leaves very little room for stereotypes and much more for