Russian comedy is something of an oxymoron. Consider, for example, poor Anton Chekov, whose first play “The Seagull” was a dismal failure until it was produced by Konstantin at the Moscow Art Theater as a dark, moody piece, much to the author’s dismay. And when Chekov saw Stansilavski’s  “The Cherry Orchard,” he lamented that his work had been ruined. In his view, he was writing comedies, a notion lost on many of his viewers, even today, long after he was established as a master dramatist.

But an extraordinary thing happens in the current California Shakespeare Theater’s production of another Chekov classic, “Uncle Vanya.” They uncover the humor that Chekov threaded through the work. By no means has it been transformed into a knee-slapper, but a masterful adaptation by Emily Mann lets the humor float gently to the top of the production, like cream to the top of a pail of milk — all the more apt since the play takes place on a farm, a Russian estate at the turn of the 19th century. It is, rather, the subtle comedy of irony, of  the human condition, as  recognizable as an image in a mirror.

This estate is owned by a young woman, Sonya, (Annie Purcell) who inherited it from her mother. With her uncle Vanya (Dan Hiatt), she has run the farm for years, sending the profits to her father, an art professor. When Prof. Serebryakov (James Carpenter) retires, he’s unable to afford to stay live in the city and so he moves to the farm and brings with him his new wife, the lovely if vapid Yelena (Sarah Grace Wilson), and there he creates an upheaval that becomes the consideration of wasted lives that is “Uncle Vanya.”

A thoroughly selfish, self-absorbed hypochondriac, Serebryakov reveals himself to be something far from the heroic, superior man Sonya and Vanya had believed they were supporting. His constant maladies, however, bring another character into prominence, Dr. Astrov, (Andy Murray), who becomes a regular visitor, perhaps not so much to tend to the irascible Serebryakov but to gaze starstruck at Yelena. She has also captivated Vanya, solely, it must be noted on her looks; each time she opens her mouth, she reveals that she is nearly as useless as her husband. Meanwhile the hard-working, passionate and underrated Sonya is smitten with the doctor.

Astrov, like Vanya, is a complex, intriguing man — even more so. While Vanya descends into a pool of self-doubt, largely based on his lust for Yelena and his gradually realization that the man he has supported for years is a fraud, Dr. Astrov emerges as a strangely  prescient man, who is, at the same time, doomed by his own form of blindness. “Uncle Vanya” premiered in 1899, but Astrov could be an environmentalist of 2008. In his spare time he plants trees to replenish the disappearing forests; he makes maps of how man is encroaching on the forests; he worries about the future and believes that if “1,000 years from now” people are living better lives, his own efforts will have some how been rewarded. He is also, however, an alcoholic, isolated by his intellectualism,  lonely, frustrated, and entirely unable to see the love — the value of it — that the equally lonely Sonya is suffering from.

The excellent cast of this production, directed by Timothy Near, is rounded out by marvelous performances by Barbara Oliver as Marnia, the long-time family servant, and Howard Swain as Waffles, the impoverished neighboring landowner. T. Louise Weltz adds a ominous shadow-like performance as the farm hand, who patrols the estate at night for trespassers, but whose warnings could be of the impending doom of a whole way of life.

And, as always, the magical stage of Calshakes, open to the hills, surrounded by eucalyptus, form a splendid backdrop for a performance. It’s mutable setting simply casts a spell over any work, but is brilliant for this “Uncle Vanya,” which is subtitled “Scenes from a Country Life.” The clever, inventive set, anchored by two doors leading to nowhere, evokes the fading world of imperial Russia — that, and a wonderful episode of music with Vanya and Astrov, drunk and singing. It’s a wonderful production, deep,  rich and rewarding — oh, and at times, you laugh out loud. Chekov would be happy.

“Uncle Vanya, Scenes from a Country Life,” is performed at the Bruns Theater in the hills between Orinda and Berkeley through Aug. 31. The final play in the California Shakespeare Theater’s 2008 season, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” opens Sept. 10. For tickets and further information, contact the Calshakes’ box office, (510) 548-9666 or visit www.calshakes.org.