Bust of Anton Chekhov at Badenweiler, Germany

The Cherry Orchard (Вишнëвый сад or Vishniovy sad in Russian) is Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre 17 January 1904 in a production directed by Konstantin Stanislavski and within six months, Chekhov died of tuberculosis. Chekhov intended this play as a comedy and it does contain some elements of farce; however, Stanislavski insisted on directing the play as a tragedy. Since this initial production, directors have had to contend with the dual nature of this play. ImageMetadata File history File links Anton_Tschechow_Denkmal. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Anton_Tschechow_Denkmal. ... Template:Unsourced A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is someone who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... The house in Taganrog where Chekhov was born Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (Russian: , IPA: ) was a Russian physician, short story writer, and playwright. ... Romeo and Juliet by Ford Madox Brown A play, written by a playwright, or dramatist, is a form of literature, almost always consisting of dialog between characters, and intended for performance rather than reading. ... The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1897 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... A portrait of Konstantin Stanislavski by Valentin Serov. ... Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for Tubercle Bacillus) is a common and deadly infectious disease that is caused by mycobacteria, primarily Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke[[ laughter in general). ... A farce is a comedy written for the stage, or a film, which aims to entertain the audience by means of unlikely and extravagant - yet often possible - situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include puns and sexual innuendo, and a fast-paced... In general usage a tragedy is a play, movie or sometimes a real world event with a sad outcome. ... A theatre director is a principal in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a play by unifying various endeavors and aspects of production. ...

The play concerns an aristocratic Russian woman and her family as they return to the family's estate (which includes a large and well-known cherry orchard) just before it is auctioned to pay the mortgage. While presented with options to save the estate, the family essentially does nothing and the play ends with the estate being sold and the family leaving to the sound of the cherry orchard being cut down. The story presents themes of cultural futility — both the futility of the aristocracy to maintain its status and the futility of the bourgeoisie to find meaning in its newfound materialism. In reflecting the socio-economic forces at work in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, including the rise of the middle class after the abolition of serfdom in the mid-19th century and the sinking of the aristocracy, the play reflects forces at work around the globe in that period. Estate: The term applies to land under ownership and as such is a generic term for a parcel of land held by an individual or family, common in early British Gentry. ... Cherry tree redirects here. ... A community apple orchard originally planted for productive use during the 1920s, in Westcliff on Sea (Essex, England) An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs maintained for food production. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the legal mechanism used to secure property in favor of a creditor. ... Bourgeoisie (RP [], GA []) is a classification used in analysing human societies to describe a social class of people who are in the upper or merchant class, whose status or power comes from employment, education, and wealth as opposed to aristocratic origin. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... It has been suggested that Villein be merged into this article or section. ...

Since the first production at the Moscow Art Theatre, this play has been translated into many languages and produced around the world, becoming a classic work of dramatic literature. Some of the major directors in the West have directed this play, each interpreting the work differently. Some of these directors include Charles Laughton, Peter Brook, Eva Le Gallienne, Jean-Louis Barrault, Tyrone Guthrie and Giorgio Strehler. The play's influence has also been widely felt in dramatic works by many including Eugene O'Neill, George Bernard Shaw and Arthur Miller. This does not cite its references or sources. ... Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was an English stage and film actor. ... Peter Stephen Paul Brook CH CBE (born 21 March 1925) is a highly influential British theatrical producer and director. ... Eva Le Gallienne Eva Le Gallienne (January 11, 1899 – June 3, 1991) was a well-known actress, producer, and director, during the first half of the 20th century. ... Jean-Louis Barrault (September 9, 1910 - January 22, 1994) was a French actor, director and mime artist. ... Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 - 15 May 1971) was a British theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada and the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Giorgio Strehler (14 August 1921 – 25 December 1997) was one of the most influential directors of Italian opera and theatre. ... Eugene Gladstone ONeill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright. ... George Bernard Shaw (George) Bernard Shaw[1] (born Dublin, 26 July 1856 – died 2 November 1950 in Hertfordshire) was an Irish playwright based in England. ... Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist, and commited suicide in 2005 because of his wife was caught cheating and havin an affair . ...

Background

There were several experiences in Chekhov's own life that are said to have directly inspired his writing of The Cherry Orchard. When Chekhov was sixteen, his mother went into debt after having been cheated by some builders she had hired to construct a small house. A former lodger, Gabriel Selivanov, offered to help her financially, but in turn secretly bought the house for himself. At approximately the same time, his childhood home in Taganrog was sold to pay off its mortgage. These financial and domestic upheavals imprinted themselves on his memory greatly and would reappear in the action of The Cherry Orchard. Taganrog (Russian: , IPA: ) is a seaport city located on Taganrog Bay in Rostov Oblast, Russia. ...

Later in his life, living on a country estate outside Moscow, Chekhov developed an interest in gardening and planted his own cherry orchard. After relocating to Yalta due to his poor health, Chekhov was devastated to learn that the buyer of his former estate had cut down most of the orchard. Returning on one trip to his childhood haunts in Taganrog, he was further horrified by the devastating effects of industrial deforestation. It was in those woodlands and the forests of his holidays in the Ukraine that he had first nurtured his ecological passion (this passion is reflected in the character of Dr. Astrov, whose love of the forests is his only peace, in his earlier play Uncle Vanya.). A lovely and locally famous cherry orchard stood on the farm of family friends where he spent childhood vacations, and in his early short story "Steppe," Chekhov depicts a young boy crossing the Ukraine amidst fields of cherry blossoms. Finally, the first inklings of the genesis for the play that would be his last came in a terse notebook entry of 1897: "cherry orchard." Today, Chekhov's Yalta garden survives alongside The Cherry Orchard as a monument to a man whose feeling for trees equaled his feeling for theatre. Indeed, trees are often unspoken, symbolic heroes and victims of his stories and plays; so much so that Chekhov is often singled out as Europe's first ecological author. Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2007)    - Density 10,469,000   9684. ... Yalta (Ukrainian: , Russian: , Crimean Tatar: ) is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. ... Taganrog (Russian: , IPA: ) is a seaport city located on Taganrog Bay in Rostov Oblast, Russia. ... Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land use such as arable land, pasture, urban use, logged area or wasteland. ... Anton Chekhov (left) and Maxim Gorky in Yalta. ... Yalta (Ukrainian: , Russian: , Crimean Tatar: ) is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. ...

Chekhov wrote The Cherry Orchard during the course of several years, alternating between periods of lighthearted giddiness and despondent frustration which he considered as bordering upon sloth (in a letter he wrote, "Every sentence I write strikes me as good for nothing.") Throughout this time he was also further inhibited by his chronic tuberculosis. Guarded by nature, Chekhov seemed overly secretive about all facets of the work, including even the title. As late as the Summer of 1902 he still had not shared anything about the play with anyone in his immediate family or the Art Theatre. It was only to comfort his wife Olga Knipper, who was recovering from a miscarriage, that he finally let her in on the play's title, whispering it to her despite the fact that the two were alone. Chekhov was apparently delighted with the very sound of the title, and enjoyed the same sense of triumph months later when he finally revealed it to Stanislavski. By October of 1903 the play was finished and sent to the Moscow Art Theatre. Three weeks later Chekhov arrived at rehearsals in what would be a vain attempt to curb all the "weepiness" of the production which Stanislavski had directed. The author apparently also snickered when, during rehearsals, the word "orchard" was substituted with the more practical "plantation," feeling he had perfectly and symbolically captured the impracticality of an entire way of life. Olga Leonardovna Knipper (1869-1959) was among the 39 original members of the Moscow Art Theatre, when the latter was formed by Konstantin Stanislavsky in 1898. ... Konstantin (Constantin) Stanislavski (Константи́н Серге́евич Станисла́вский / Алексе́ев) (January 5, 1863... The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1897 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. ... Konstantin (Constantin) Stanislavski (Константи́н Серге́евич Станисла́вский / Алексе́ев) (January 5, 1863...

Although critics at the time were divided in their response to the play, the debut of The Cherry Orchard by the Moscow Art Theatre on January 17, 1904 (Chekov's birthday) was a resounding theatrical success and the play was almost immediately presented in many of the important provincial cities. This success was not confined only to Russia, as the play was soon seen abroad with great acclaim as well. Shortly after the play's debut, Chekhov departed for Germany due to his worsening health, and by July of 1904 he would be dead. The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1897 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Characters

• Note on characters

Characters' names are entirely dependent on the transliteration. The names in this section have been taken from the most current translation by Michael Frayn.

• Madame Liubov Andreievna Ranevskaya - a landowner

Ranyevskaya is the linchpin around which the characters revolve. A commanding and popular figure, she represents the pride of the old aristocracy, now fallen on hard times. Her confused feelings of love for her old home, and sorrow at the scene of her son's death, give her an emotional depth that keeps her from devolving into a mere aristocratic grotesque. Most of her humour comes from her inability to understand financial or business matters.

• Anya - her daughter, aged 17

Anya is undoubtedly the heroine of the piece. She undertakes the journey to Paris to rescue her mother from her desperate situation at the age of just 17. She is that rare character, a truly virtuous, strong, young female. She is in love with Trofimov, and listens to his revolutionary ideas, whether she is actually taking them in or not.

• Varya - her adopted daughter, aged 27

Varya creates one of the mysteries of the play: why did Ranyevskaya adopt her? Is she the illegitimate child of her late husband? Is she the bastard daughter of Gayev? Varya is deeply religious, and very serious, as well as being very controlling towards other characters. She has a troubled relationship with Lopakhin, to whom she is romantically linked, but of whom she disapproves.

• Leonid Andreieveitch Gayev - brother of Madame Ranevskaya

One of the more obviously comic characters, Gayev is a talkative eccentric. His addiction to billiards (often manifesting itself at times of discomfort) is symbolic of the aristocracy's decadent life of leisure, which renders them impotent in the face of change. Gayev tries hard to save his family and estate, but ultimately, as an aristocrat, lacks the drive.

• Yermolai Alexeievitch Lopakhin - a merchant

Lopakhin is by far the richest character in the play, but comes from the lowest social class. This contrast defines his character: he is enjoying living the high life, but at the same time is uncomfortably conscious of his low beginnings and obsession with business. Often portrayed as an unpleasant character because of his greedy tendencies, and ultimate betrayal of the Gayev family, there is nothing in the play to suggest this: he works strenuously to help the Gayevs, but to no avail. Lopakhin represents the new middle class in Russia, one of many threats to the old aristocratic way of doing things.

• Peter Trofimov - a student

Trofimov, Anya's love interest, is depicted as the "eternal" (or in some translations "wandering") student. An impassioned left-wing political commentator, he represents the rising tide of reformist political opinion in Russia, which struggled to find its place within the authoritatian Tsarist autocracy.

• Boris Borisovich Simeonov-Pishchik - a landowner

Another old aristocrat, whose own estate has hit hard times. He is constantly discussing new business ventures that may save him, or badgering Ranyevskaya for a loan. His character embodies the irony of the aristocracy's position: despite his financial peril, he spends the play relaxing and socialising with the Gayevs.

• Charlotta Ivanovna - a governess

By far the most eccentric character, Charlotta is the only governess the Gayevs could afford to provide a companion for Anya. She is the major source of comedy in the play, with her weird and random comments, and amusing magic tricks. It could be claimed that Charlotta is the token "clown" character in the play.

• Yepikhodov - a clerk

The Gayev's estate clerk is also another source of comedy. He is unfortunate and clumsy in the extreme, earning him the nickname "Disasters by the Dozen". (This nickname varies according to the translation). He considers himself to be in love with Dunyasha, whom he has asked to marry him.

• Dunyasha - a housemaid

Like Lopakhin, she is another example of the social mobility in Russia at the time. A peasant who is employed as the Gayev's chambermaid, Dunyasha is an attention seeker, making big scenes, and dressing as a lady, to show herself off. She is in some respects representative of the aristocracy's impotence, as a lowly chambermaid would not normally have the freedom to dress like a lady and flirt with the manservants. She is in love with Yasha.

• Firs - a manservant, aged 87

An aging eccentric, Firs considers the emancipation of the Russian serfs to be a disaster, and talks nostalgically of the old days, when everybody admired their masters and owners, such as Gayev's parents and grandparents. His madness and harmlessness are a source of much of the play's poignancy, symbolising the decay of the old order into muttering madness, enshrined in Firs' catchphrase "I'm such a sillybilly".

• Yasha - a young manservant

The play's only truly unpleasant character, Yasha represents the new, disaffected Russian generation, who dislike the staid old ways, and are effectively the origins of the revolution. A rude, inconsiderate and predatory young man, Yasha, like Dunyasha and Charlotta, is the best the Gayevs can afford. He is in conflict with Yepikhodov for the affections of Dunyasha, whom he appears briefly to be romantically linked with.

• A Stranger

A passer-by who interrupts and insults the Gayevs as they laze around on the Gayevs' estate during Act II. He is symbolic of the intrusion of new ideologies and social movements that infringed on the aristocracy's peace in Russia at the turn of the 20th century.

• The Stationmaster and The Postmaster

Both officials attend the Gayevs' party in Act III. Although they both play minor roles in the act (the Stationmaster attempts to recite a poem, and the Postmaster flirts with Dunyasha), they are mostly symbols of the deprecation of the aristocracy in 1900s Russia - Firs comments that, whereas once they had barons and lords at the ball, now it's the postman and the stationmaster.

• Guests, servants, etc.

Synopsis

Act I

Act I opens in May when the cherry trees in the Ranevskaya orchard are blooming.

Act I opens in the early morning hours of a day in May in the nursery of Madame Ranevskaya's ancestral estate somewhere in the provinces of Russia just after the turn of the 20th Century. Lyubov Andreyevna Ranevskaya (Любовь Андреевна Раневская) returns to her country house with her 17-year old daughter Anya (Аня) and her German governess Charlotta Ivanovna (Шарлотта Ивановна), as well as her valet, Yasha (Яша), from Paris where they have been living for the past five years. The trio is met by Varya (Варя), Mme. Ranevskaya's adopted daughter who has overseen the estate in her absence; Yermolai Alexeevich Lopakhin (Ермолай Алексеевич Лопахин), a local merchant and family friend; Leonid Andreevich Gayev (Леонид Андреевич Гаев), Mme. Ranevskaya's brother; as well as members of the household staff including Dunyasha (Дуняша), the chambermaid who behaves like a refined lady; Epikhodov (Епиходов Семен Пантелеевич), a clumsy clerk in the Ranevskaya household who has proposed to Dunyasha; and the aging footman, Firs (Фирс), who was once a serf to the Ranevskaya family and who, after the emancipation of the serfs in 1861, remained in their service for lack of a better opportunity for work. Dunyasha becomes smitten with the cultured Yasha, who steals a kiss from her while the two are alone. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 1810 KB)Yoshino Sakura at the Georgia International Horse Park. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 1810 KB)Yoshino Sakura at the Georgia International Horse Park. ... Nursery can refer to: Nursery (children), a place for the temporary care of children in the absence of their parents Nursery (horticulture), a place where young plants or trees are raised Nursery, a place where immature stages of insects are reared Nursery school, a daycare facility for preschool-age children... A governess is a female employee from outside of the family who teaches children within the family circle. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Merchants function as professionals who deal with trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves, in order to produce profit. ... The Emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia performed by tsar Alexander II of Russia amounted to liquidation of serf dependence of Russian peasants. ...

Mme. Ranevskaya is reminded that the estate will be auctioned in August to pay the estate's mortgage. Lopakhin offers a plan to save the orchard if only she will allow part of the estate to be developed into summer cottages. However, this will incur the destruction of the famous cherry orchard which Mme. Ranevskaya states is nationally known, and which has become to her a symbol of her youth and childhood. Other solutions to the debt are also proposed but nothing is resolved and the conversation is diverted to other topics. While Ranevskaya enjoys the view of the orchard as day breaks, she is surprised by Petya Trofimov (Петр Сергеевич Трофимов), a young student who acted as tutor to Ranevskaya's son, Grisha. We learn that Grisha drowned five years prior to the beginning of the play, and that this was a contributing factor to Ranevskaya's fleeing Russia and her home. Ranevskaya is grief-stricken at the reminder of this tragedy, despite Trofimov's insistence on seeing her upon her return (much to the consternation of Varya.) 19th century Cottages in the small hamlet of Crafton, Buckinghamshire In modern usage, a cottage is a dwelling, typically in a rural, or semi-rural location (although there are cottage-style dwellings in cities). ... Cherry tree redirects here. ... A community apple orchard originally planted for productive use during the 1920s, in Westcliff on Sea (Essex, England) An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs maintained for food production. ...

After Ranevskaya retires for the evening, Anya confesses to Varya that their mother is heavily in debt and their uncle Gayev suggests sending Anya to Yaroslav where their great aunt lives in the hopes that she will lend them the money to save the estate. Gayev also reminds Varya that Lophakin is a wealthy man and has always been enamoured of her, and that a marriage with him would ensure the family's survival. They all go to bed with a renewed hope that the estate will be saved and the cherry orchard not cut down.

Act II

Act II opens on a road bordering the cherry orchard in mid-summer. The estate is still in jeopardy but the family seems more concerned with courtships. Yasha and Epikhodov are each attempting to attract the attentions of Dunyasha. The young Anya has fallen in love with Trofimov, infuriating Varya, who herself has become the subject of rumours that she will be engaged to Lopakhin. Lopakhin tries to steer the conversation towards the business of the estate but Mme. Ranevskaya reveals the sad truth about her finances and her relationship with a man in Paris who cruelly took advantage of her money and feelings. The old footman Firs speaks of the past on the estate before the emancipation of the serfs. The sound of a Jewish band is heard in the distance and Ranevskaya decides to hold a party and invite them to play. When Trofimov appears, Lopakhin teases the boy for his being a perpetual student and Trofimov espouses his philosophy of work and useful purpose to the delight and humor of everyone around. During their conversations, a disheveled vagrant passes by and begs for money; Ranevskaya thoughtlessly gives him all of her money, despite the protestations of Varya. Shaken by the disturbance, the family departs for dinner, with Lophakin futilely insisting that the cherry orchard be sold to pay down the debt. Anya stays behind to talk with Trofimov, who disapproves of Varya's constant hawk-like eyes, reassuring Anya that they are "above love." To impress Trofimov and win his affection, Anya vows to leave the past behind her and start life anew. The two depart for the river as Varya calls scoldingly in the background. The Emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia performed by tsar Alexander II of Russia amounted to liquidation of serf dependence of Russian peasants. ...

Act III

Several months have passed, and the evening of Ranevskaya's party has come. Offstage the musicians play as the family and their guests drink, carouse and entertain themselves. It is also the day of the auction for the estate and the cherry orchard; Gayev has received a paltry amount of money from his and Ranevskaya's stingy aunt in Yaroslav, and the family members, despite the general merriment about them, are both anxious and distracted while they wait for word of their fates. Varya worries about paying the musicians and scolds Trofimov and their neighbour Pischik for drinking, Dunyasha for dancing and Epikhodov for playing billiards. Charlotta entertains the group by performing several magic tricks. Ranevskaya scolds Trofimov for his constant teasing of Varya, whom he refers to as "Madame Lophakin." She then urges Varya to marry Lophakin, but Varya demurs, reminding her that it is Lophakin's duty to ask for her hand in marriage, not the other way around. She says that if she had money she would move as far away from him as possible. Left alone with Ranevskaya, Trofimov insists that she finally face the truth that the house and the cherry orchard will be sold at auction. Ranevskaya shows him a telegram she has received from Paris and reveals that her former lover is ill again and has begged for her to return to his aid. She also reveals that she is seriously considering joining him, despite his cruel behavior to her in the past. Trofimov is stunned at this news and the two argue about the nature of love and their respective experiences. Trofimov leaves in a huff but offstage falls down the stairs and is carried in by the others. Ranevskaya laughs and forgives him for his folly and the two quickly reconcile. Anya enters declaring a rumour that the cherry orchard has been sold. Lopakhin arrives with Gayev, both of whom are exhausted from the trip and the day's events. Gayev is distant, virtually catatonic and goes to bed without saying a word of the outcome of the auction. When Ranevskaya asks who bought the estate, Lopakhin reveals that he himself has purchased it in order to save the family. Varya, enraged, hurls the keys to the estate on the floor, and Lopakhin, half-drunk and smug, tells how he outbid everyone and gleefully (and angrily) celebrates his victory. Ranevskaya, distraught, clings to Anya, who tries to calm her and reassure her that the future will be better now that the cherry orchard has been sold.

Act IV

It is several weeks later, once again in the nursery (as in Act I), only this time the room is being packed and taken apart as the family prepares to leave the estate forever. Lopakhin arrives with champagne as a going-away present but Ranevskaya snubs him - despite his best intentions for the family he loves, she views him as a destroyer of her youth and happiness. Trofimov enters in search of his galoshes, and he and Lopakhin exchange opposing world views. Anya enters and reprimands Lopakhin for ordering his workers to begin cutting down the cherry orchard while the family is still in the house. Lopakhin apologizes and rushes out to stop them for the time being in the hopes that he will be somehow reconciled with them. Anya also inquires about Firs' health and Yasha informs her that he has been taken to a hospital that morning. Dunyasha enters and begs Yasha for some sort of affectionate parting; Yasha for his part wants nothing to do with her or his old life, as he hungers to return to Paris and to live in style. Charlotta enters, lost and in a daze, and insists that the family find her a new position. Gayev and Ranevskaya return to say goodbye to the room where they grew up and spent their childhood. Gayev gaily announces that he has a job at the local bank, and Raneskaya reveals that she is indeed returning to Paris to be with her former lover. She also scolds Lopakhin for not yet asking Varya to marry him. Lopakhin concedes to do so, and the rest withdraw to give the two some privacy. When Varya enters (knowing that he will propose to her), Lopakhin and she converse about the weather and various mundane subjects, both trying to find a way to reveal their feelings. One of the workers calls for Lopakhin and he exits hastily without asking Varya to marry him. Varya is devastated and Ranevskaya comforts her when she returns. The family and their servants all gather to say their respective goodbyes to the estate and the cherry orchard, one by one departing for their new lives. Ranevskaya tearfully bids her old life goodbye and leaves as the house is shut up forever. In the darkness Firs wanders into the room and discovers that they have left without him and boarded him inside the abandoned house to die. He lies down on the couch and resigns himself to his fate, as offstage we hear the axes as they cut down the cherry orchard.

Themes

One of the main themes of the play is the effect social change has on people. The emancipation of the serfs on 19 February 1861 by Alexander II allowed former serfs to gain wealth and status while some aristocrats were becoming impoverished, unable to tend their estates without the cheap labour of slavery. The effect of these reforms were still being felt when Chekhov was writing forty years after the mass emancipation.^[1] It has been suggested that Social development be merged into this article or section. ... The Emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia performed by tsar Alexander II of Russia amounted to liquidation of serf dependence of Russian peasants. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar) // January 1 - Benito Juárez captures Mexico City January 2 - Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia dies and is succeeded by... Alexander (Aleksandr) II Nikolaevich (Russian: Александр II Николаевич) (born 17 April 1818 in Moscow; died 13 March 1881 in St. ...

Chekhov originally intended the play as a comedy (indeed, the title page of the work refers to it as such), and in letters noted that it is even more like a farce. When he saw the original Moscow Art Theatre production directed by Konstantin Stanislavski, he was horrified to find that the director had moulded the play into a tragedy. Ever since that time, productions have had to struggle with this dual nature of the play (and of Chekhov's works in general.) The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1897 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. ... A portrait of Konstantin Stanislavski by Valentin Serov. ...

Ranevskaya's failure to address problems facing her estate and family mean that she eventually loses almost everything and her fate can be seen as a criticism of those people who are unwilling to adapt to the new Russia. Her petulant refusal to accept the truth of her past, in both life and love, makes her one of the stage's most compelling heroines, a woman who sacrifices everything she has - her past, her youth, her looks, her fortune and her family's and her own happiness - for love (not ironically, the name Lyubov in Russian loosely translates to "love.") The speeches by the student Trofimov, attacking intellectuals were later seen as early manifestations of Bolshevik ideas and his lines were often censored by the Tsarist officials. Cherry trees themselves are often seen as symbols of sadness or regret at the passing away of certain situation or of the times in general. Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... Censorship is the removal or withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , Croatian car, in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... Cherry tree redirects here. ...

The theme of identity, and the subversion of expectations of such, is one that can be seen in The Cherry Orchard; indeed, the cast itself can be divided up into three distinct parts: the Gayev family (Ranevskaya, Gayev, Anya and Varya), family friends (Lopahkin, Pishchik and Trofimov), and the "servant class" (Firs, Yasha, Dunyasha, Charlotta and Yepikhodov), the irony being that some of them clearly act out of place - think of Varya, the adopted daughter of an aristocrat, effectively being a housekeeper; Trofimov, the thinking student, being thrown out of university; Yasha considering himself part of the Parisian cultural élite; and both the Gayevs and Pishchik running low on money while Lopakhin, born a peasant, is practically a millionaire.

Another idea, while the Marxist view of the play is certainly more popular, is that The Cherry Orchard was Chekhov's last hurrah; a tribute to himself if you will. Many of the characters in the play harken back to his earlier works and are based on people he knew in his own life. It should also be noted that his boyhood house was bought and torn down by a wealthy man that his mother had considered a friend. The breaking guitar string in acts 2 and 4 herald back to his earliest works. Finally the classic "loaded gun" that appears in many of Chekhov's plays appears here, but this is his only play in which a gun is shown but not fired. Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... The house in Taganrog where Chekhov was born Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (Russian: , IPA: ) was a Russian physician, short story writer, and playwright. ...

Production history

The play opened on January 17, 1904, the playwright's birthday, at the Moscow Art Theatre under the direction of legendary actor/director Konstantin Stanislavsky. Famously contrary to Chekhov's wishes, Stanislavsky's version was, by and large, a tragedy. Chekhov disliked the Stanislavsky production intensely, concluding that Stanislavsky had "ruined" his play. In one of many letters on the subject, Chekhov would complain, "Ania, I fear, should not have any sort of tearful tone … Not once does my Ania cry, nowhere do I speak of a tearful tone, in the second act there are tears in their eyes, but the tone is happy, lively. Why did you speak in your telegram about so many tears in my play? Where are they? ... Often you will find the words “through tears,” but I am describing only the expression on their faces, not tears. And in the second act there is no graveyard."^[2] The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1897 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. ... Konstantin (Constantin) Stanislavski (Константи́н Серге́евич Станисла́вский / Алексе́ев) (January 5, 1863...

The modest and newly-urbanized audiences attending pre-revolutionary performances at S. V. Panin’s People’s House in St. Petersburg, reportedly cheered as the cherry orchard was felled onstage.^[3]

The playwright's wife Olga Knipper played Madame Ranevskaya in the original Moscow Art Theatre production, as well as in the 300th production of the play by the theatre in 1943. Olga Leonardovna Knipper (1869-1959) was among the 39 original members of the Moscow Art Theatre, when the latter was formed by Konstantin Stanislavsky in 1898. ... The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1897 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ...

A 1934 production at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London directed by Tyrone Guthrie and translated by Hubert Butler was among the first English-language productions of the play. Sadlers Wells theatre, 2005 Sadlers Wells Theatre is located on Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, London. ... Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 - 15 May 1971) was a British theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada and the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Hubert Marshall Butler (1900–1991) was an Anglo-Irish essayist who wrote on a wide-range of topics, from local history and archaeology to the politics of pre-war Eastern Europe. ...

A television version featuring Helen Hayes as Ranevskaya, E.G. Marshall as Lophakin and Susan Strasberg as Anya, directed by Daniel Petrie, was broadcast as part of the Play of the Week television series in 1959. Helen Hayes (October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress whose successful and award-winning career spanned almost 70 years. ... Everett Gunnar Marshall (June 18, 1910 - August 24, 1998) was an American actor who starred in 1957 movie 12 Angry Men. Marshall was born in Owatonna, Minnesota. ... Susan Strasberg Susan Strasberg (May 22, 1938 – January 21, 1999) was a Jewish-American actress. ... Daniel M. Petrie (November 26, 1920, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada - August 22, 2004, Los Angeles, California) was a television and movie director. ...

A production starring Irene Worth as Ranevskaya and Meryl Streep as Varya, directed by Andrei Şerban and featuring set and costumes by Santo Loquasto, opened at Lincoln Center Theatre in 1977. Irene Worth on her recital disc Her Infinite Variety Irene Worth, Honorary CBE, (born Harriet Elizabeth Abrams June 23, 1916 in Fairbury, Nebraska - died March 9, 2002 in New York) was a distinguished stage and screen actress who became one of the leading stars of the English and American theatre. ... Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress who has worked in theatre, television, and film. ... Andrei Åžerban is a stage director. ...

A production directed by Peter Hall, translated by Michael Frayn (Noises Off) and starring Dorothy Tutin as Ranevskaya, Albert Finney as Lopakhin, Ben Kingsley as Trofimov and Ralph Richardson as Firs, appeared at the Royal National Theatre in London in 1978 to nearly universal acclaim. Sir Peter Reginald Frederick Hall (born 22 November 1930) is a British theatre and film director. ... Michael Frayn (born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. ... Dame Dorothy Tutin Order of the British Empire|DBE (8 April 1930–6 August 2001), was a highly-regarded English actress of stage, film, and television. ... Albert Finney (born May 9, 1936 in Salford, Lancashire, England) is a five-time Academy Award-nominated English actor of Irish descent. ... Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE (born Krishna Bhanji on December 31, 1943) is an Academy Award-winning British actor. ... Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, did their best to make the transition to film. ... The Royal National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge The Royal National Theatre is a building complex and theatre company located on the South Bank in London, England immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. ...

In 1981, renowned director Peter Brook mounted a production in French with an international cast including Brook's wife Natasha Parry as Ranevskaya, Niels Arestrup as Lophakin and Michael Piccoli as Gayev. The production was remounted at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in 1988 after tours through Africa and the Middle East. Peter Stephen Paul Brook CH CBE (born 21 March 1925) is a highly influential British theatrical producer and director. ...

A film version starring Charlotte Rampling as Ranevskaya, Alan Bates as Gayev and Owen Teale as Lophakin, directed by Michael Cacoyannis, appeared in 1999. Rampling modeling on a Mickey Spillane book cover, 1972. ... Alan Bates as butler in Gosford Park (2001) Sir Alan Arthur Bates CBE, (February 17, 1934 – December 27, 2003) was a British actor. ... Michael Cacoyannis (born June 11, 1922 in Limassol, Cyprus, under the name Mikhalis Kakogiannis) is a filmmaker. ...

A new production of the play starring Annette Bening as Ranevskaya and Alfred Molina as Lophakin, translated by Martin Sherman (Bent) and directed by Sean Mathias (Indiscretions) opened at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, CA in February 2006. Annette Bening (born May 29, 1958) is an American Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actress. ... Molina as Dr. Octopus in Spiderman 2 (2004) Alfred Molina (born May 24, 1953) is an English actor. ... The Mark Taper Forum is a small (<1000 seats) theater-in-the-round (thrust stage) at the Los Angeles Music Center. ...

At the Huntington Theater in Boston, Massachusetts, a play has been produced in January 2007 where Kate Burton, from Grey's Anatomy, is Madame Ranevskaya, Will LeBow is Lopakin, Jessica Dickey is Dunyasha, Jeremy Beck is Yephikhodov, Jessica Rothenberg is Anya, Mark Blum is Gaev, Sarah Hudnut is Varya, Jeremiah Kissel is Pishnik, Joyce Van Patten is Charlotta Ivanova, Yasha is played by Gene Farber, a Tramp is portrayed by Robert Bonotto, Patrick Lynch acts as The Station Master, Dick Latessa is Firs, Richard Nelson is the translator, and Nicholas Martin is the director. Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, Athens of America, The Hub (of the Universe)1 Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Government  - Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) Area  - City  89. ... Kate Burton (born on 10 September 1957 in Geneva, Switzerland) is an American actress. ... Greys Anatomy is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American primetime television medical drama. ... Jeremy Beck (b. ... Joyce Van Patten (born March 9, 1934 in New York City) is an American actress who has appeared on TV on both As The World Turns and on The Odd Couple, in movies The Bad News Bears, and on stage on Broadway. ... Patrick Lynch - Catholic bishop of Charleston, South Carolina during the American Civil War. ... Dick Latessa (born 1930) is an American actor. ... Poseidon is a movie remake of the classic disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, based on the novel by Paul Gallico. ...

Jonathan Miller is directing the play in March-April 2007 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England. The play represents Miller's return to the British stage after nearly a decade away^[4] and stars Joanna Lumley as Ranevskaya. Miller (far left) with the Beyond the Fringe cast Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller, CBE (b. ... The Crucible Theatre, located in the city centre of Sheffield, England is known for being a producing theatre, meaning shows are designed and rehearsed in-house. ... For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Joanna Lumley and David McCallum as Sapphire & Steel. ...

The Lit' Theatre Company, based in Crouch End, is also putting on a run of the play in April 2007, directed by Monty Holender.

In pop culture

• In Robert De Niro's The Good Shepherd, a performance of the play is attended by a CIA agent, portrayed by Matt Damon.
• Monty Python's Flying Circus included a sketch on their record Another Monty Python Record which involved a production of the play performed entirely by Gumbies. One gets his head stuck in a cupboard, and the others behave in a similar manner, yelling "hello!" at each other and destroying the set.
• The play is somewhat obliquely referenced in The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett. A minor subplot in the novel centers around three sisters living together in a small dacha surrounded by a cherry orchard (one of the sisters longs for an axe). They end up assisting Commander Samuel Vimes, by providing him with "the gloomy and purposeless trousers of Uncle Vanya".
• The plot of Gabriele Salvatores's Turnè revolves around a company that performs The Cherry Orchard in various theatres in Italy.

Robert Mario De Niro Jr. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Matthew Paige Matt Damon (born October 8, 1970) is an American screenwriter and actor. ... This article discusses the series itself. ... Another Monty Python Record was the second album produced by the Monty Python comedy group, released in 1971. ... The Gumbies Gumbies are a type of recurring character in Monty Pythons Flying Circus, characterized by a very distinctive appearance. ... The Fifth Elephant is the 24th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. ... Terence David John Pratchett OBE (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England[1]) is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. ... Sam Vimes is a fictional policeman from Terry Pratchetts Discworld series. ... Anton Chekhov (left) and Maxim Gorky in Yalta. ... Gabriele Salvatores (July 30, 1950, Naples), is an Italian Academy Award-winner film director and screenwriter. ...

References

1. ^ A general overview of these themes, among others, can be found in: Jean-Pierre Barricelli, ed., Chekhov’s Great Plays: A Critical Anthology (New York, 1981), Richard Peace, Chekhov: A Study of the Four Major Plays (New Haven, 1983), Donald Rayfield, Understanding Chekhov: A Critical Study of Chekhov’s Prose and Drama (Madison, 1999).
2. ^ Gregory Stroud, Retrospective Revolution: A History of Time and Memory in Urban Russia, 1903-1923 (Urbana-Champaign, 2006), 63-4.
3. ^ Richard Stites, Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Experimental Life in the Russian Revolution (New York, 1989), 63.
4. ^ The Cherry Orchard, reviewed by Lynne Barber in the Independent on 22nd March 2007 (Retrieved 30th March 2007) (#4)

Books

• Chekhov, Anton. The Cherry Orchard. translated by David Magarshack. Modern and Contemporary Drama edited by Miriam Gilbert, Carl H. Klaus and Bradford S. Field, Jr. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994. ISBN 0-312-09077-3

External links

• Full text of The Cherry Orchard in the original Russian
• Public Domain version of the play here, English translation