The Cherry Orchard

Anton Chekhov’s great last play, The Cherry Orchard is a comedy of human frailty. An aristocratic family is at a loss in a changing world, and Chekhov’s pitch-perfect voice for their confusion and isolation mirrors the dislocation in our own lives. The story of Madam Ranevskaya and her beloved cherry orchard poignantly captures the tragedy of our missed connections and opportunities. While of a very different time and place, Chekhov shared much with Shakespeare: the understanding of a theatrical event, the silliness and sadness of recognizing ourselves on stage. This should be a Cherry Orchard that doesn’t just speak of Russia in the 19th century, but of all our lives.