Says Ms. Monte, "I credit Chekhov with changing my life — and not just from reading his plays. As a college student, a saw a PBS Theatre in America presentation of Chekhov's The Sea Gull, directed by Nikos Psacharopoulos, who was considered, at that time, to be one of the greatest interpreters of Chekhov for the American stage. It affected me profoundly, and a few years later, when the fates presented me with an opportunity to work for this man, I grabbed at it."

As associate artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF), Ms. Monte worked with WTF artistic director Nikos Psacharopoulos for over eight years, until his untimely death in 1989. She credits Psacharopoulos with helping to develop her interest and expertise in Chekhov and the Russian canon, saying, "Through Nikos’s great mentorship, guidance and friendship, I soaked up Chekhov and the Russian masters like a sponge. I feel as though Chekhov led me to Nikos, and in turn, Nikos introduced me to Chekhov - it was one of the most felicitous paths my life has taken. And so, in celebration and commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first production of THREE SISTERS, I decided to undertake it with a group of actors who have shared in much of my artistic life. I based our adaptation of the script on one that Nikos wrote many years ago, and once again, I marvel at my great luck that fate or chance has led me down so many exciting paths."