Chekhov's Gun

Prayer for the French Republic's piano is a Chekhov gun

“One must never put a loaded rifle onstage if it isn’t going to go off.”

So said Chekhov in a letter to an actor. Evidently, he said more or less the same thing in many letters. I have heard it interpreted 2 ways:

1. Extra stuff onstage clutters the narrative and the space.

2. Guns store a ton of potential energy. It is wildly unsatisfying to leave it undetonated.

I have put a gun on a mantelpiece in a set design…actually, I have more than once put a whole arsenal above a fireplace. I did it in the name of character. What gets your prime display real estate in your house? guns? grandma? grandma + guns? Says a lot about you.

If I take Chekhov’s advice to heart, I will be sad when set decorating time comes around. I immediately replaced the guns with swords in my head….but that’s definitely cheating.