Piccolo Theatre presents The Cherry Orchard
Piccolo Theatre concludes their 11th season with The Cherry Orchard, a comedy written by Anton Chekhov, translated by Paul Schmidt and directed by Zachary Davis. Previews: March 9-11; opening: March 16; runs through May 5.
A masterful mix of comedy, tragedy and farce, The Cherry Orchard is the story of an aristocratic Russian family and its associates on the precipice of major social upheaval at the turn of the twentieth century. After the death of her young son and an absence of 5 years, Liubov returns to her estate in rural Russia to reunite with her brother Gayev and her two daughters, Anya and Varya. Eager to resume her life there, she faces painful memories of her son's death as well as debts that threaten her ownership of the estate, which is renowned for its beautiful, sprawling orchard of cherry trees. Lopakhin, the son of a peasant farmer who has become a wealthy man, endeavors to thwart the impending auction; however, through three fateful seasons, the family clings to their familiar way of life in the face of impending social change and revolution. Filled with vivacious characters, whimsy and romance, The Cherry Orchard is Chekhov's triumphant final play and a culmination of a career spent illuminating the funniest parts of our tumultuous, absurd lives.
Director Zachary Davis and Piccolo Theatre have chosen Paul Schmidt's hilarious and clear translation to create a production of The Cherry Orchard aligned with Chekhov's original vision-a comedy rooted in vaudeville, that is genuine, truthful and ridiculous, and where laughing through the tears takes on a whole new meaning. Piccolo aims to strip down the dramatic artifice without sacrificing the poignancy of Chekhov's writing, bringing a new and energetic spin on an old classic.