A character emerges - Natalya from Chekhov’s The Proposal

How can a stage character transform into a living person? How does Chekhov’s one-act play ’The Marriage Proposal’ develop into an entertaining evening at the theatre? What allows the character Natalya Stepanovna to grow, and how does the actress grow with her character? What steps are involved between the initial idea for a production and the premiere? And what remains of the acting work?