| The Bear | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Chekhov_by_serov.jpg) Painting of Chekhov by Valentin Serov | |
| Written by | Anton Chekhov |
| Date premiered | October 28, 1888 |
| Place premiered | Moscow |
| Original language | Russian |
| Genre | vaudeville/farce comedy |
The Bear: A Joke in One Act, or The Boor (Russian: Медведь: Шутка в одном действии, romanized: Medved': Shutka v odnom deystvii, 1888), is a one-act comedic play written by Russian author Anton Chekhov. The play was originally dedicated to Nikolai Nikolaevich Solovtsov, Chekhov's boyhood friend and director/actor who first played the character Smirnov.