Written by Anton Chekov, Translated by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Sam Mendes
Synopsis: The Cherry Orchard centers on the attempts of Madam Ranevsky, a widow who has squandered her wealth in Paris, to save her Russian country estate and her beloved cherry orchard. Through the interactions of fourteen characters, Chekhov tells a story of loss and death, but also of hope and new beginnings; a story of the decline of the old land-owning class and the rise of the merchant class - both soon to be swept away by the Russian Revolution.
NEW YORK TIMES:
"The problem in playing Chekhov — and particularly “The Cherry Orchard” — is that the performers must convey the feeling of characters trapped in the solitary confinement of their own thoughts yet itching to connect. That double-edged sensibility was captured so seamlessly by the recent Broadway revival of “The Seagull”: the sense that no matter how alone the characters were, they all breathed the same oxygen. Mr. Mendes’s “Cherry Orchard” isn’t on that level. "
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK POST:
"If the pacing is occasionally languorous and the stylization at times heavy-handed, they're offset by frequent doses of humor. "
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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS:
"But this vibrant revival - the debut production by the Bridge Project linking American and English actors and theaters - has more going for it than good timing. There's Sam Mendes' astute direction, Tom Stoppard's lucid translation, graceful designs and performances to match. "
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THEATERMANIA:
"Indeed, these two singular artists have failed to locate the deep melancholia at the heart of Chekhov's work, instead indulging in cheap laughs, easy sentiment, and the occasional unnecessary coup de theatre. "
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VARIETY:
"It's no match for this season's haunting reinvestigation of another Chekhov play, "The Seagull," but Sam Mendes' robust staging of Stoppard's witty new adaptation boasts strong ensemble work, centered by the gravitas and emotional nuance of Simon Russell Beale's riveting Lopakhin. "
Read the whole review HERE.
BACKSTAGE:
"Stoppard emphasizes hilarious comedy and merciless soul-searching in his idiomatic script, while Mendes carefully keeps high-concept moments to a minimum, giving them stronger impact and avoiding obvious symbolism. "
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TIME OUT NY:
"Unlike The Seagull, which we’ve seen quite enough lately, The Cherry Orchard is a rarer, bittersweet fruit we don’t get every harvest."
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