Overview
Liúbov Ranyévskaya returns to her Russian estate after five years in Paris, following her son’s death. But her family is ridden with debt, and their home and beautiful cherry orchard will be auctioned off at the end of the summer. Lopákhin grew up on the estate, the child of former serfs, and has become a wealthy merchant. He suggests they build vacation homes where the orchard sits. The income would save them, but Liúbov and her brother won’t even consider it. They—like the cherry orchard—are a relic from another time: beautiful, but now fruitless. Summer comes to a close, and the Ranyévskayas must leave—with the sound of axes coming from the orchard.
Casting & Production
Casting
Liubóv Andréyevna Ranyévskaya, who owns the estate
Ánya, her daughter, 17 years old
Várya, her adopted daughter, 24 years old
Leoníd Andréyich Gáyev, Liubóv’s brother
Yermolái Alexéyich Lopákhin, a businessman
Pétya Trofímov, a graduate student
Borís Semyónov-Píshchik, who owns land in the neighborhood
Carlotta, the governess
Semyón Yepikhódov, an accountant
Dunyásha, the maid
Firs, the butler, 87 years old
Yásha, the valet
A homeless man
The stationmaster
The postmaster
Guests, servants
Setting
PLACE
The action takes place on Ranyévskaya’s estate in Russia.
TIME
The turn of the 20th century.
Reviews
“Schmidt sets out to give us a Chekhov that makes sense… His guiding starts are clarity and relevance—particularly relevance to American audiences… The result is a surprisingly lively Chekhov, colloquial and clear… funnier and more muscular than one might have suspected.”
—The Atlantic
