The Cherry Orchard
The final play by Anton Chekhov, this play is considered by many to hold a dual nature of tragedy and comedy even though Chekhov himself viewed the play as more of a farce than anything else. The core of the story is the fall of the bourgeoisie and the rise of the middle class from serfdom.
The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum freely adapts this tale of Russian social upheaval into the American South of the 1970’s transplanting the abolition of serfdom with the civil rights movement of African-Americans. While many traditionalists might have already begun groaning, this is one production to save the nay-saying on. Director Heidi Helen Davis wrote this adaption with Ellen Geer (Andreyevna) and it captures to the letter the world that Chekhov created while holding up the ever questioning mirror to our current social culture and asks, “Are we yet again on the brink of everlasting change?”
Ellen Geer herself leads this cast as Andreyevna/Lillian Randolph Cunningham, who returns from Europe to a home she has been exiled from by death and grief only to watch her world swiftly crumble around her. There is a sense of childlike wonder in how she deals with the problems of poverty and the loss of the family cherry orchard. Geer encapsulates the simplicity of her former life and has a detached sense to how she approaches the problems that face her. Willow Geer plays the young Anya/Anna Cunningham and is elegant yet fearful voice of changing tide and shows her clear role as the real parent in her relationship to Lillian. She with Marc Ewing as Trofimov/ Terrence Moses are a beautiful team that embrace the forward momentum of social change and attempt to move away from an era of useless materialism.
The great humor of Chekhov’s work is not missed within the heavy grief that is this play’s core. Yasha/Buck Yankins played by Matt Van Winkle is a near perfect example of comedic timing that is lighthearted yet fueled by an unseen pain, an example of this is the running billiards joke, “Yellow ball, side pocket” which turns from funny to sad by the plays end. Tyler Rhoades as Yepikhodov/Yancy Ogelsby and Emma Fassler as Dunyasha/Dolores Hughes take up the reins of physical comedy and do nothing but add another tremendous layer to the play with their performances. Steve Matt (Lopakhin/ Lawrence Poole) rounds out this cast with his superb transformation from savior of the family to owner of the orchard that his very father slaved away his life in.
Even today, Chekhov’s final work speaks to our current culture and begs us to not repeat the sins of the past even though we always seem to. This is not your typical version of The Cherry Orchard, and for that reason alone it should be seen.
The Cherry Orchard is now playing at The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum at 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Topanga Canyon June 27th through September 26th. For tickets and more information, call (310) 455-3723 or visit online at www.theatricum.com