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The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard (Russian: Вишнёвый сад, romanized: Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by Znaniye (Book Two, 1904), and it appeared as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg via A.F. Marks Publishers. On 17 January 1904, it opened at the Moscow Art Theatre in a production directed by Konstantin Stanislavski. Chekhov described the play as a comedy, with some elements of farce, though Stanislavski treated it as a tragedy. Since its first production, directors have struggled with its dual nature. It is often identified as one of the four outstanding plays by Chekhov, along with The Seagull, Three Sisters, and Uncle Vanya.
The play revolves around an aristocratic Russian landowner who returns to her family estate, which includes a large and well-known cherry orchard; she returns just before the estate is auctioned to pay the mortgage. Unresponsive to offers to save the estate, she allows its sale to the son of a former serf, and the family departs to the sound of the cherry orchard being cut down. The story presents themes of cultural futility – the attempts of the aristocracy to maintain its status, and the attempts of the bourgeoisie to find meaning in its newfound materialism.[citation needed] The play dramatizes the socioeconomic forces in Russia at the turn of the 20th century; these forces include the rise of the middle class after the abolition of serfdom in the mid-19th century, in addition to the decline in power of the aristocracy.
Widely regarded as a classic of 20th-century theatre, the play has been translated into many languages and produced around the world. Major theatre directors have staged it, including Charles Laughton, Peter Brook, Andrei Șerban, Jean-Louis Barrault, Tyrone Guthrie, Katie Mitchell, Robert Falls, and Giorgio Strehler. The play has influenced many other playwrights, including Eugene O'Neill, George Bernard Shaw, David Mamet, and Arthur Miller.
The Cherry Orchard involves a number of characters. In languages other than Russian, the spelling of their names depends on the transliteration used.
A landowner. Ranyevskaya is the linchpin around which the other characters revolve. A commanding and popular figure, she represents the pride of the old aristocracy, now fallen on hard times. She has confused feelings of love for her old home and sorrow at the scene of her son's death; these give her an emotional depth that keeps her from devolving into a mere aristocratic grotesque. Most of her humor comes from an inability to understand financial or business matters.
Lyubov's daughter, aged seventeen. She journeys to Paris to rescue her mother from a desperate situation. She is a virtuous and strong. She is close to Trofimov and listens to his revolutionary ideas, although she may not be absorbing them.
Lyubov's adopted daughter, aged twenty-four. Varya manages the estate and keeps everything in order. She is the glue that holds the family together. The reason that Ranevskaya adopted her remains unclear, though she is said to have come from "simple people" (most likely serfs). Varya fantasizes about becoming a nun, though she lacks the financial means to do so. She adores her mother and sister, and she frets constantly about money. Her relationship with Lopakhin is mysterious; all characters in the play assume that these two are about to be married, but neither of them acts on it.
The brother of Madame Ranevskaya. One of the more obvious comic characters, Gayev is a talkative eccentric. His addiction to billiards (often appearing 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; ultimately, as an aristocrat, he either lacks sufficient drive or doesn't understand the real-world mechanisms needed to realize his goals.
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The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard (Russian: Вишнёвый сад, romanized: Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by Znaniye (Book Two, 1904), and it appeared as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg via A.F. Marks Publishers. On 17 January 1904, it opened at the Moscow Art Theatre in a production directed by Konstantin Stanislavski. Chekhov described the play as a comedy, with some elements of farce, though Stanislavski treated it as a tragedy. Since its first production, directors have struggled with its dual nature. It is often identified as one of the four outstanding plays by Chekhov, along with The Seagull, Three Sisters, and Uncle Vanya.
The play revolves around an aristocratic Russian landowner who returns to her family estate, which includes a large and well-known cherry orchard; she returns just before the estate is auctioned to pay the mortgage. Unresponsive to offers to save the estate, she allows its sale to the son of a former serf, and the family departs to the sound of the cherry orchard being cut down. The story presents themes of cultural futility – the attempts of the aristocracy to maintain its status, and the attempts of the bourgeoisie to find meaning in its newfound materialism.[citation needed] The play dramatizes the socioeconomic forces in Russia at the turn of the 20th century; these forces include the rise of the middle class after the abolition of serfdom in the mid-19th century, in addition to the decline in power of the aristocracy.
Widely regarded as a classic of 20th-century theatre, the play has been translated into many languages and produced around the world. Major theatre directors have staged it, including Charles Laughton, Peter Brook, Andrei Șerban, Jean-Louis Barrault, Tyrone Guthrie, Katie Mitchell, Robert Falls, and Giorgio Strehler. The play has influenced many other playwrights, including Eugene O'Neill, George Bernard Shaw, David Mamet, and Arthur Miller.
The Cherry Orchard involves a number of characters. In languages other than Russian, the spelling of their names depends on the transliteration used.
A landowner. Ranyevskaya is the linchpin around which the other characters revolve. A commanding and popular figure, she represents the pride of the old aristocracy, now fallen on hard times. She has confused feelings of love for her old home and sorrow at the scene of her son's death; these give her an emotional depth that keeps her from devolving into a mere aristocratic grotesque. Most of her humor comes from an inability to understand financial or business matters.
Lyubov's daughter, aged seventeen. She journeys to Paris to rescue her mother from a desperate situation. She is a virtuous and strong. She is close to Trofimov and listens to his revolutionary ideas, although she may not be absorbing them.
Lyubov's adopted daughter, aged twenty-four. Varya manages the estate and keeps everything in order. She is the glue that holds the family together. The reason that Ranevskaya adopted her remains unclear, though she is said to have come from "simple people" (most likely serfs). Varya fantasizes about becoming a nun, though she lacks the financial means to do so. She adores her mother and sister, and she frets constantly about money. Her relationship with Lopakhin is mysterious; all characters in the play assume that these two are about to be married, but neither of them acts on it.
The brother of Madame Ranevskaya. One of the more obvious comic characters, Gayev is a talkative eccentric. His addiction to billiards (often appearing 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; ultimately, as an aristocrat, he either lacks sufficient drive or doesn't understand the real-world mechanisms needed to realize his goals.