PETER PETKOVSEK

“The Cherry Orchard is important for three reasons: first, for its intrinsic textual richness, its linguistic power and subtlety as a piece of dramatic prose; second, because of its crucial position in Russian cultural history as a culmination of all ‘realist’ nineteenth-century fiction and as the first classic of a new, arguably ‘symbolist’ or ‘absurdist’ literature; third, because of its seminal role in the evolution of twentieth-century theater.”

        Donald Rayfield, in The Cherry Orchard: Catastrophe and Comedy

Anton Chekhov is one of the greatest playwrights of all times. The Cherry Orchard is the last play he wrote before an early death. It talks about change: change within the main character, Lyubov Ranyevskaya, change in her family, change in the local environment of the estate with the cherry orchard, and change in the very social fabric of society. An era is ending, and something new, unknown, but perhaps beautiful is beginning.

The Cherry Orchard is one of those classic plays with highly recognizable moments. Waiting for the arrival of the train, Ranyevskaya's reaction to the nursery, Trofimov's dialogue with her, Lopakhin's monologue about buying the orchard, his non-proposal to Varya, and the old servant Firs's last moment; all these are some of the staple theatrical stage events. But it is also a beautiful story of nostalgia, of a love affair between a woman and her memories, and of habits so rigid and immoveable that they ultimately don't stand a chance against the motion of time and progress.