Heated debates about the genre of The Cherry Orchard, disagreements between the author and the theater arose already during the preparation period first performance at the Moscow Art Theater. The theater’s reception of the play alarmed the author, as can be seen from correspondence with O.L. Knipper, who noted, among other things, that Stanislavsky “roared all the time” over the play. Stanislavsky, as follows from his letter to Chekhov dated October 22, 1903, insisted that “this is not a comedy, not a farce, as you wrote, this is a tragedy...”. Chekhov also did not like the rehearsals, which he attended in December 1903. Not only the genre shift of the play towards the “heavy drama of Russian life,” but also the unbearable lengths irritate Chekhov. Nemirovich-Danchenko in his memoirs about the first production of “The Cherry Orchard”, which took place January 17, 1904, admitted that there was a “misunderstanding of Chekhov” - the delicate fabric of the work “the theater took with too rough hands.”
The author's dissatisfaction and his own dissatisfaction forced the theater to continue working on the play. According to Nemirovich, over time the performance got rid of precisely those shortcomings that Chekhov pointed out, but still there was no complete transfer of the “author’s worldview.” The growing success of the play was evidenced by press reviews of the tour in St. Petersburg, as well as the growing popularity of the play among the provincial theater.
In 1928 Moscow Art Theater resumed " The Cherry Orchard", wanting to prove that Chekhov is close to the new time. In accordance with the requirements of the moment, the satirical features in the image of Gaev were strengthened, but the desire to imbue the performance with historical optimism - evidence of this intention are the well-known lines from “My Life in Art”, where Stanislavsky wants to give Lopakhin “the scope of Chaliapin”, and Anya “the temperament Ermolova" and shout to the whole world "Hello, new life! - had no practical implementation. Meanwhile, the Moscow Art Theater tradition of the elegiac performance of “The Cherry Orchard” was strengthened quite firmly, and therefore could not but cause denial at the height of the “sociological revaluation” of Chekhov in the thirties.
A sharp polemic against the Chekhov canon of the Art Theater was the production of “The Cherry Orchard” by A.M. Lobanov at the Studio Theater under the leadership of R.N. Simonov in 1934. The director said: “I am for Chekhov, but against the Moscow Art Theater.” Lobanov did not see any fundamental difference between the characters in the play: everyone was still absorbed by the vaudeville bourgeois environment, Trofimov in the play made us remember Gorky’s characterization of the “trashy student” who “speaks eloquently”: he recited in the bathhouse in front of the high school students (this is how the line “To talk about sex” was interpreted) decadents!"). Anya, first of all, according to Chekhov, the “child” turned into a girl who “condemned her mother and rather angrily gossiped about her,” the “attraction of the aging Ranevskaya to the young footman” was emphasized (Yasha turned out to be Ranevskaya’s lover, sang chansonettes and danced the cancan) . And Firs died “while performing some complex physical exercises.” The performance, as one might expect, caused heated controversy - critic Yu. Yuzovsky came to the director’s defense, but he also recognized the influence of vulgar sociological concepts on the director.
The theme of the death of culture was seen in the play by A. V. Efros in a vivid interpretation of the play staged at the Taganka Theater in 1975. In the scenography of V.Ya. For Leventhal, this reading was expressed in transferring the action to the cemetery. Everyone in the play, especially the unusual Lopakhin - V.S., yearned for beauty. Vysotsky, but they could not comprehend her completely and could not save her. The actor seemed to remind the viewer of Chekhov’s words about an intelligent person, about Lopakhin’s “thin, like an artist’s” fingers, who painfully wants to join the inaccessible world of culture and cannot. Words at the end Act III"Who bought it?" - “I bought” at the performance sounded like: “Who killed?” - "I killed". In his “drunken dance,” Lopakhin-Vysotsky sought to drown the feeling of guilt that was never fully realized.
Unusual for Theater of Satire, “The Cherry Orchard” by V.N. was elegiac. Pluchek (1984) with unconventional, enlightened images of Gaev (A.D. Papanov) and Lopakhin (A.A. Mironov). The garden in the play bifurcated - Lopakhin got the ugly cherry trees, but above the stage, in the play of light, an elusive ghost garden, a memory garden, a dream garden appeared above the stage. Such readings were certainly influenced by emerging studies on the semantics of the image of a garden in Chekhov. The tragic tone prevailed in I. V. Ilyinsky’s production on the stage of the Maly Theater (1982). Productions by G.B. Volchek at the Sovremennik Theater(1976 and 1997) differed in tonality - the latter raised the tone of the performance and made Chekhov “energetic.” M.M. Ranevskaya became broken, nervous, suddenly moving from laughter to tears in the new production. Neelova.
In the post-war foreign theater, “The Cherry Orchard” becomes one of Chekhov’s most popular plays. Following Pitoev in France, Jean-Louis Barrault turns out to be a Chekhov director, who directed “The Cherry Orchard,” at the Odeon theater translated by Jacques Neveu in 1954. It is from this performance that the tradition of perceiving the play as a parable about the relationship between man and time originates. The director said about his “motto”: “About a person. Through a person. In the name of man." The performance became an event in the cultural life of France not only thanks to the excellent performance of Madeleine Renault - Ranevskaya and other performers, but also thanks to the serious philosophical approach to the Russian author, who rejected abstract cliché ideas about “Slavic melancholy” and “Russian soul”.
However, the most famous innovative interpretation of the play in modern Western theater was the production by Giorgio Strehler at the Piccolo di Milano Theater. The director concludes that the time has come to present The Cherry Orchard as “more universal, more symbolic, more open to fantasy.” Strehler put forward an original concept for the play, calling it “the problem of three boxes.” Three boxes, nested one inside the other, reflect the relationship between the three time dimensions of the play: real time - the lives of Ranevskaya and Gaev, historical time, where events are seen as if from the outside, and philosophical time. The third box - the Life Box - gives the action a generalized symbolic sound. In Strehler's play, the main character was the Cherry Orchard, designed in a metaphorical way, in the form of a dome hovering above the stage (the play was designed by Josef Svoboda). The semantics of the color white has been of great interest to directors ever since. Chekhov theater. The hagiographic plan of the production was emphasized by individual mise-en-scenes and symbolic objects. So, Ranevskaya, according to Strehler, returns not just home, but to childhood - children’s toys fell out of the “respected closets” here.
The theme of the loss of culture, seen in the loss of the cherry orchard, came to the fore in another famous play - staged by Peter Brook at the Théâtre Buffe du Nord in Paris in 1980. Narrative, philosophical, lasting every minute of stage life was “The Cherry Orchard” by Peter Stein, shown in Moscow in 1991. Critics noted that for the director, “no one died. Everyone is alive - Chekhov, Stanislavsky, and the hundred-year-old Firs.”
“If there is a theater that we must save and preserve from the past at all costs, it is, of course, the Art Theater,” Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. And so we go to the Moscow Art Theater. M. Gorky, “Doroninsky”, the very best, founded by Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. I’ll say right away that I want to see the entire repertoire in this theater! But getting to the Moscow Art Theater for the first time to see Chekhov, the theater’s program performance and my favorite “The Cherry Orchard” is some kind of special magic for me. I don't know what to correctly call what's happening on stage. For me, this is a classic, a classic that you don’t see everywhere in the theater these days. In some places it was replaced by talented modernity, and in others by gray mediocrity. But Chekhov’s pure and bright syllable is best heard this way, slowly, measuredly, sonorously and evenly - every word falls into the soul, each from the distant past pierces modern us like an arrow, aches the heart with sadness, and at the same time for me there is no such Chekhovian hopelessness. You can write and talk a lot about this performance, but is it really possible to express in words what you need, you just need to see? I advise everyone, I strongly recommend, I implore you - watch the classics in the most classic of theaters! And I want to end with the words of TV Doronina, artistic director of the theater, “The traditions of the Russian theater are realism, truth and the word for the glory of man. Spiritual improvement, the desire to restore what is called “conscience,” for it is conscience that is the measure of human decency, kindness and selflessness.” This is the main thing for which I come to the theater, and I am happy when I find and respond with all my heart, with all my soul to the actors’ performance, and become at least a little better!..
Olga Bragina, January 21, 2019
The play “The Cherry Orchard” at the Moscow Art Theater. It is quite difficult to call M. Gorky a comedy, because... it reveals the entire tragedy of the process of death and degeneration of the Russian nobility. And this topic is very close to Chekhov, because we all know that he experienced very similar feelings to Ranevskaya, when the writer’s father was forced to sell the family nest for debts. In this production, the “puzzle of images and actions” completely came together for me - the perfect selection of the cast played a big role in this. The director (S.V. Danchenko) managed to create a subtly touching, sometimes sad, sometimes cheerful atmosphere, and thanks to the magnificent acting ensemble, the unique Chekhovian intonation was preserved! Everyone is waiting for the arrival of the owner of the estate, Ranevskaya (L.L. Matasova), from Paris. Lyubov Andreeva and her daughter enter, and gradually everyone learns that they are facing ruin. Neither her brother Gaev (A.I. Titorenko) nor Ranevskaya are able to prevent it. And what can they do? Just waste money and think, not wanting to change anything in your life! Ranevskaya herself experienced many troubles in this garden, but she is happy to return here again and fills the house with her warmth, remembers her native land, and is nostalgic. She doesn’t care at all about debts, the sale of her estate and her daughter’s inheritance. She is happy with forgotten and relived impressions. The former serf, and currently the merchant Lopakhin (V.V. Klementyev), proposes a rescue plan: cut down the cherries and build dachas, but the proud owners do not agree with him. Ranevskaya arrogantly rejects help and continues to remain inactive in the bliss of her own memories. Gaev and Lopakhin constantly quarrel. While the old owners of the garden are throwing a ball, as if nothing had happened, the auction is going on: the climax of the action comes - Lopakhin acquires the estate. Ranevskaya decides to return to Paris to squander the rest of her savings. After her departure, everyone goes their separate ways, and only the old servant Firs remains in the crowded house. An open ending, a closed curtain and only a dull knock on wood...
Oksana Gromova, January 18, 2019
I have long wanted to visit the Moscow Art Theater. M. Gorky, and now, finally, I had such an opportunity. I watched “The Cherry Orchard”. I consciously chose classic. Something in Lately I’m a little tired of modern experimental productions, which sometimes you don’t even know how to understand. That’s why I enjoyed watching the classic “The Cherry Orchard.” From the first minutes we were immersed in the atmosphere of the ancient estate. The scenery is beyond praise. The interior of the rooms is masterfully conveyed in the spirit of that era. Everything is thought out to the smallest detail. I liked the acting. This is exactly how I imagined Ranevskaya. Lopakhin is quite the bookish Lopakhin... The scene with Firs, who was forgotten in the house, was very touching. And I really liked Firs himself. The theater hosts an exhibition of scenery sketches for performances folk artist RF V.G. Serebrovsky. Very interesting! In general, I liked the theater. I was there for a very long time, even as a child I went with a class to “ blue bird“and I don’t remember anything at all. Everything here is done on a grand scale. There is a lot of space, where to walk and what to admire. In addition to traditional photographs on the walls, you can also see the costumes of the actors of the play “The Inspector General”. I had a very good evening. I wish the same for all of you. If you want to watch the classics, then the Gorky Moscow Art Theater is exactly the theater where you need to watch these very classics.
Christina
Oh, how I love the theater. It’s like you’re being rebooted - this magnificent acting, this atmosphere, these stories that they tell us from the stage, these feelings that you experience with the actors, give you the feeling of a fairy tale. I forget this everyday bustle; at the moment of watching, I don’t even have unnecessary thoughts. I hope that I will watch all the performances. It was as if I had read the work all over again, but at the time when we went through “The Cherry Orchard” at school, it was quite difficult to understand, then after reading it, as an adult, I realized that it was a classic that would live for centuries. And after watching the performance it will remain in my soul. And I’ll be happy to watch it a second time with my baby.
Nastya
Today I’ve been like a Savraska all day, and in the evening I went to the play “The Cherry Orchard” at my beloved Moscow Art Theater. M. Gorky. Famous story. Lots of "why" questions... and a lot of favorite actors on stage! I recommend everyone to watch it. Wonderful performance!
Nadezhda S.
Moscow Art Theater named after. M. Gorky. "The Cherry Orchard". Well, if we go, then go to the classics, we thought and went. Academic performance. We have become unaccustomed to the slow, measured flow of events. There was not enough drive, it seemed drawn out. But! You need to know what you're getting into and what to expect from the theater. Classic Chekhov. Classic production. Well done actors. Romance of scenery. The lights go out and you are transported to another era. You just need to slow down your rhythm a little and immerse yourself in the piece. Forget that you are always in a hurry somewhere. Enjoy the moment and don't be disappointed. But the main thoughts have not changed, have not lost their relevance. Although my reading of Chekhov and watching the play have different impressions. If after reading the thoughts were about a new world that could be built instead of the old one, which Anechka was interested in, then after the performance there was a residue that the cherry orchard was destroyed in the name of revenge on the past, for the oppressed ancestors. Two different emotions, two different ways building the future. Chekhov Anton Pavlovich. Classic is timeless.
Lusine A.
Certainly one of best gifts for me it’s a performance that I’ve been wanting to see for a long time! We really liked the Moscow Art Theater. M. Gorky! We watched the famous “The Cherry Orchard” and both Stas and I were delighted with this performance!!! To all lovers of Russian classical literature I highly recommend it! The scenery, costumes, atmosphere, and most importantly the acting!
The play “The Cherry Orchard” by Igor Ilyinsky became the first production in the history of the Maly Theater based on the play of the same name by Anton Chekhov. Previously, the works of the great playwright were not of interest to this theater. Igor Ilyinsky tried to get as close as possible to the author’s reading of the play as a comedy (comedy of life), where human fate was decided behind absurd and, at first glance, meaningless conversations. The heroes were having fun, pretending not to notice how their lives were falling apart, how their past was being erased into dust. The image of the cherry orchard came to the fore in the performance as a symbol of dreams and dreams, something unattainably beautiful, without which life is impossible and meaningless. human life. The garden literally filled the stage space, its snow-white branches visible through the wide-open windows.
Landowner Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya (Tatyana Eremeeva) returns from Paris to her family estate, which is on the verge of ruin. The main value of this estate is the luxurious cherry orchard as a memory of family, childhood and home. Ranevskaya had not been to her homeland for more than five years, trying to get rid of the melancholy for her son who died early, drowned in a pond not far from the estate. And therefore, for her, coming home is both joyful and alarming. Everything reminds of the tragic event and foreshadows a sad end. But it is here that Ranevskaya feels warmth and comfort, the joy of meeting with loved ones and her native garden. “I love my Motherland, I love it dearly,” she says. But the estate, along with the garden, goes under the hammer to a wealthy merchant Lopakhin (Viktor Korshunov), secretly in love with Ranevskaya, who once saved him, still a boy, from his father’s beatings.
The garden was sold to Lopakhin, a man of progressive views, a businessman and master of the new era. He plans to cut down the cherry orchard and build dachas in its place. This means that Ranevskaya, her brother Gaev (Nikolai Annenkov), two daughters - Anya (Elena Tsyplakova) and Varya (Lyudmila Pirogova) - say goodbye to the past forever. What awaits them in the future is unknown. The guests are having fun in the estate to the music, congratulating the new owner, and the previous owners froze in tense anticipation. Lopakhin, regular guest Epikhodov (Vladimir Dubrovsky) and the maid Dunyasha (Olga Titaeva) await Ranevskaya in the same anxious tension at the beginning of the first act.
In the Maly Theater performance, the central figure was an episodic hero - the old and decrepit servant Firs, played by Igor Ilyinsky himself. He, as the main keeper of the hearth, took care of the estate in a businesslike manner. There is no servility or servility in him, he is full of self-esteem, calmness and confidence. And he is the only one, like the captain of a sinking ship, who does not leave his home when the windows are boarded up and a lock is hung on the door. One of the critics called Firs, performed by Ilyinsky, “King Lear of the Russian estate.” An era passes away with him.
In Ilyinsky’s play, the conflict was not reduced to a clash between people of the old and new generations, but consisted of the presence or absence of a desire for something higher than everyday reality. After all, Ranevskaya-Eremeeva’s thoughts were all this time far from worries about the estate. She thinks about the lover she left in Paris. This humiliating and bitter love torments her, but she does not have the strength to cope with it. In a dispute with Petya Trofimov, Anya’s fiancé, she defends her rights as a loving and suffering woman. But the sale of the estate frees Ranevskaya from worries, no matter how sublime the memories may be. Likewise, Gaev-Annenkov, a lazy man and a talker, divorced from reality, internally feels relief from the sale of the estate, which was too much of a burden for him. He protects the estate from Lopakhin, primarily guided by aesthetic considerations: the cherry orchard is more attractive than the dachas. However, he easily comes to terms with his fate. Unlike Ranevskaya and Gaev, Lopakhin is a man of action. But he, too, is drawn to beauty, to the beautiful, the embodiment of which for him was Ranevskaya. The sisters also look at the sale of the estate differently: Varya is afraid of the impending instability, Anya is full of hope and faith in a new life.
Still from the film “The Garden” (2008)
The estate of landowner Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. Spring, cherry trees are blooming. But the beautiful garden will soon have to be sold for debts. For the last five years, Ranevskaya and her seventeen-year-old daughter Anya have lived abroad. Ranevskaya’s brother Leonid Andreevich Gaev and her adopted daughter, twenty-four-year-old Varya, remained on the estate. Things are bad for Ranevskaya, there are almost no funds left. Lyubov Andreevna always squandered money. Six years ago, her husband died from drunkenness. Ranevskaya fell in love with another person and got along with him. But soon her little son Grisha died tragically, drowning in the river. Lyubov Andreevna, unable to bear the grief, fled abroad. The lover followed her. When he fell ill, Ranevskaya had to settle him at her dacha near Menton and look after him for three years. And then, when he had to sell his dacha for debts and move to Paris, he robbed and abandoned Ranevskaya.
Gaev and Varya meet Lyubov Andreevna and Anya at the station. The maid Dunyasha and the merchant Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin are waiting for them at home. Lopakhin's father was a serf of the Ranevskys, he himself became rich, but says of himself that he remained a “man a man.” The clerk Epikhodov comes, a man with whom something constantly happens and who is nicknamed “twenty-two misfortunes.”
Finally the carriages arrive. The house is filled with people, everyone is in pleasant excitement. Everyone talks about their own things. Lyubov Andreevna looks at the rooms and through tears of joy remembers the past. The maid Dunyasha can’t wait to tell the young lady that Epikhodov proposed to her. Anya herself advises Varya to marry Lopakhin, and Varya dreams of marrying Anya to a rich man. The governess Charlotte Ivanovna, a strange and eccentric person, boasts about her amazing dog; the neighbor, the landowner Simeonov-Pishchik, asks for a loan of money. The old faithful servant Firs hears almost nothing and mutters something all the time.
Lopakhin reminds Ranevskaya that the estate should soon be sold at auction, the only way out is to divide the land into plots and rent them out to summer residents. Ranevskaya is surprised by Lopakhin’s proposal: how can her beloved wonderful cherry orchard be cut down! Lopakhin wants to stay longer with Ranevskaya, whom he loves “more than his own,” but it’s time for him to leave. Gaev makes a welcoming speech to the hundred-year-old “respected” cabinet, but then, embarrassed, he again begins to meaninglessly utter his favorite billiard words.
Ranevskaya does not immediately recognize Petya Trofimov: so he has changed, turned ugly, the “dear student” has turned into an “eternal student.” Lyubov Andreevna cries, remembering her little drowned son Grisha, whose teacher was Trofimov.
Gaev, left alone with Varya, tries to talk about business. There is a rich aunt in Yaroslavl, who, however, does not love them: after all, Lyubov Andreevna did not marry a nobleman, and she did not behave “very virtuously.” Gaev loves his sister, but still calls her “vicious,” which displeases Anya. Gaev continues to build projects: his sister will ask Lopakhin for money, Anya will go to Yaroslavl - in a word, they will not allow the estate to be sold, Gaev even swears by it. The grumpy Firs finally takes the master, like a child, to bed. Anya is calm and happy: her uncle will arrange everything.
Lopakhin never ceases to persuade Ranevskaya and Gaev to accept his plan. The three of them had breakfast in the city and, on their way back, stopped in a field near the chapel. Just now, here, on the same bench, Epikhodov tried to explain himself to Dunyasha, but she had already preferred the young cynical lackey Yasha to him. Ranevskaya and Gaev don’t seem to hear Lopakhin and are talking about completely different things. Without convincing the “frivolous, unbusinesslike, strange” people of anything, Lopakhin wants to leave. Ranevskaya asks him to stay: “it’s still more fun” with him.
Anya, Varya and Petya Trofimov arrive. Ranevskaya starts a conversation about a “proud man.” According to Trofimov, there is no point in pride: a rude, unhappy person should not admire himself, but work. Petya condemns the intelligentsia, who are incapable of work, those people who philosophize importantly, and treat men like animals. Lopakhin enters the conversation: he works “from morning to evening,” dealing with large capitals, but he is becoming more and more convinced how few decent people there are around. Lopakhin doesn’t finish speaking, Ranevskaya interrupts him. In general, everyone here does not want and does not know how to listen to each other. There is silence, in which the distant sad sound of a broken string can be heard.
Soon everyone disperses. Left alone, Anya and Trofimov are glad to have the opportunity to talk together, without Varya. Trofimov convinces Anya that one must be “above love”, that the main thing is freedom: “all of Russia is our garden,” but in order to live in the present, one must first atone for the past through suffering and labor. Happiness is close: if not they, then others will definitely see it.
The twenty-second of August arrives, trading day. It was on this evening, completely inappropriately, that a ball was being held at the estate, and a Jewish orchestra was invited. Once upon a time, generals and barons danced here, but now, as Firs complains, both the postal official and the station master “don’t like to go.” Charlotte Ivanovna entertains guests with her tricks. Ranevskaya anxiously awaits her brother's return. The Yaroslavl aunt nevertheless sent fifteen thousand, but it was not enough to redeem the estate.
Petya Trofimov “calms” Ranevskaya: it’s not about the garden, it’s over long ago, we need to face the truth. Lyubov Andreevna asks not to judge her, to have pity: after all, without cherry orchard her life loses meaning. Every day Ranevskaya receives telegrams from Paris. At first she tore them right away, then - after reading them first, now she no longer tears them. "This wild man", whom she still loves, begs her to come. Petya condemns Ranevskaya for her love for “a petty scoundrel, a nonentity.” Angry Ranevskaya, unable to restrain herself, takes revenge on Trofimov, calling him a “funny eccentric”, “freak”, “clean”: “You have to love yourself... you have to fall in love!” Petya tries to leave in horror, but then stays and dances with Ranevskaya, who asked him for forgiveness.
Finally, a confused, joyful Lopakhin and a tired Gaev appear, who, without saying anything, immediately goes home. The Cherry Orchard was sold, and Lopakhin bought it. The “new landowner” is happy: he managed to outbid the rich man Deriganov at the auction, giving ninety thousand on top of his debt. Lopakhin picks up the keys thrown on the floor by the proud Varya. Let the music play, let everyone see how Ermolai Lopakhin “takes an ax to the cherry orchard”!
Anya consoles her crying mother: the garden has been sold, but there is a whole life ahead. Will new garden, more luxurious than this, “quiet, deep joy” awaits them...
The house is empty. Its inhabitants, having said goodbye to each other, leave. Lopakhin is going to Kharkov for the winter, Trofimov is returning to Moscow, to the university. Lopakhin and Petya exchange barbs. Although Trofimov calls Lopakhin “ a beast of prey", necessary "in the sense of metabolism", he still loves the "tender, subtle soul" in him. Lopakhin offers Trofimov money for the trip. He refuses: over " a free man", "in the forefront of moving" to the "highest happiness", no one should have power.
Ranevskaya and Gaev even became happier after selling the cherry orchard. Previously they were worried and suffered, but now they have calmed down. Ranevskaya is going to live in Paris for now with money sent by her aunt. Anya is inspired: a new life is beginning - she will graduate from high school, work, read books, and a “new wonderful world” will open up before her. Suddenly, out of breath, Simeonov-Pishchik appears and instead of asking for money, on the contrary, he gives away debts. It turned out that the British found white clay on his land.
Everyone settled down differently. Gaev says that now he is a bank employee. Lopakhin promises to find a new place for Charlotte, Varya got a job as a housekeeper for the Ragulins, Epikhodov, hired by Lopakhin, remains on the estate, Firs should be sent to the hospital. But still Gaev sadly says: “Everyone is abandoning us... we suddenly became unnecessary.”
There must finally be an explanation between Varya and Lopakhin. Varya has been teased as “Madame Lopakhina” for a long time. Varya likes Ermolai Alekseevich, but she herself cannot propose. Lopakhin, who also speaks highly of Varya, agrees to “end this matter right away.” But when Ranevskaya arranges their meeting, Lopakhin, having never made up his mind, leaves Varya, taking advantage of the first pretext.
“It's time to go! On the road! - with these words they leave the house, locking all the doors. All that remains is old Firs, whom everyone seemed to care about, but whom they forgot to send to the hospital. Firs, sighing that Leonid Andreevich went in a coat and not a fur coat, lies down to rest and lies motionless. The same sound of a broken string is heard. “Silence falls, and you can only hear how far away in the garden an ax is knocking on a tree.”
Retold
Speaking about the work of A.P. Chekhov, his short humorous stories, filled with deep meaning and often tragedy, immediately come to mind, and for theatergoers, he is, first of all, one of the most outstanding playwrights late XIX– beginning of the 20th century. Chekhov's play “The Cherry Orchard” was the last in his work. Written in 1903, it was staged on the stage of his beloved Moscow Art Theater in 1904 and became the result of thoughts about the fate of Russia. For those who do not have time to read the entire play by A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" a brief summary of the actions will help you get acquainted with this work.
Critics called Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's play “The Cherry Orchard” a drama, but the writer himself believed that there was nothing dramatic in it, and it was, first of all, a comedy.
Main characters
Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna- a landowner who left her estate after the tragic death of her son. A lonely middle-aged woman, prone to rash and frivolous actions, living in an ideal world, unwilling to accept a reality that could hurt her.
Anya- seventeen-year-old daughter of Ranevskaya. A young, sensible girl who understands that reality has changed, and she must adapt to a new life, which cannot be started to build without breaking with the past.
Gaev Leonid Andreevich- brother of Ranevskaya. Loves to talk about everything in the world. Very often he speaks out of place, which is why he is perceived as a buffoon and asked to remain silent. Outlook on life is the same as that of my sister.
Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich- merchant, very wealthy man, typical representative bourgeois Russia. The son of a village shopkeeper with the business acumen and flair with which he made his fortune. At the same time, he cannot boast of education.
Varya- Ranevskaya’s adopted daughter, who dreams of making a pilgrimage to holy places. During her mother's absence, she acted as the mistress of the house.
Trofimov Petr Sergeevich- student, former teacher of Grisha (Ranevskaya’s son), who died in childhood. An eternal student who loves to think about the fate of Russia, about what is right and wrong. Very progressive thoughts, but does not take any action to implement them.
Other characters
Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich- a landowner, Ranevskaya’s neighbor, like her, completely in debt.
Charlotte Ivanovna– governess, spent her childhood in the circus where her parents worked. He knows a lot of tricks and tricks, loves to demonstrate them, does not understand why he lives and constantly complains about the lack of a soul mate.
Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich- a clerk, very clumsy, “22 misfortunes”, as those around him call him, in love with Dunyasha.
Dunyasha- housemaid. A young girl, thirsty for love, tries to behave like a young lady, “a gentle creature accustomed to gallant treatment.”
Firs- a footman, an old man of 87 years old, who served the family of Ranevskaya and Gaev all his life, who refused to create his own hearth and acquire freedom.
Yasha- a young footman who imagines himself to be a very important person after a trip abroad. An arrogant, dissolute young man.
Early May dawn. It’s still cold, but the cherry orchard has already blossomed, filling everything around with aroma. Lopakhin (who slept through the trip to the railway station) and Dunyasha are waiting for the arrival of Ranevskaya, who has spent the last 5 years abroad with her daughter Anya, the governess, and the footman Yasha. Lopakhin remembers Lyubov Andreevna as human lung and simple. He immediately tells about his fate, saying that his father was a simple man, and he was “in a white vest and yellow shoes.” Without hesitation, he mentions that, despite his wealth, he did not receive an education. But at the same time he reproaches Dunyasha for dressing like a young lady and behaving inappropriately for a maid. Dunyasha is very excited about the arrival of her owners. Epikhodov suddenly comes in with a bouquet. Dunyasha tells Lopakhin that Epikhodov had previously proposed to her.
Finally the crews arrive. In addition to those who arrived, other characters from the play “The Cherry Orchard” appear on stage, who met them at the station - Gaev, Varya, Semeonov-Pishchik and Firs.
Anya and Lyubov Andreevna are glad to be back. We are glad that nothing has changed around, the situation is so unchanged that it feels like they never left. A lively bustle begins in the house. Dunyasha happily tries to tell Anya what happened in their absence, but Anya shows no interest in the maid's chatter. The only thing that interested her was the news that Petya Trofimov was visiting them.
From the conversations in the first act, it becomes clear that Ranevskaya is now in extreme distress. She has already been forced to sell her overseas property, and in August her estate with a cherry orchard will be sold for debts. Anya and Varya discuss this and understand how deplorable their situation is, while Lyubov Andreevna, not used to saving, just sighs and listens to Firs’ memories of how they used to sell cherries and what they cooked from them. Lopakhin proposes to cut down the cherry orchard, and divide the territory into plots and rent them out as dachas to city residents. Lopakhin promises “at least twenty-five thousand a year in income.” However, Lyubov Andreevna and her brother are categorically against such a decision; they value their garden: “If there is anything interesting, even wonderful, in the entire province, it is only our cherry orchard.” And yet Lopakhin invites them to think and leaves. Gaev hopes that it will be possible to borrow money to pay off debts, and during this time he will be able to establish relations with the rich aunt countess and, with her help, finally resolve financial problems.
In the same action, Petya Trofimov appears, passionately in love with Anya.
Act 2
The second action of “The Cherry Orchard” takes place in nature, near an old church, from where there is a view of the cherry orchard and the city visible on the horizon. A lot of time has passed since Ranevskaya’s arrival; only a few days remain before the auction for the sale of the garden. During this time, Dunyasha’s heart was conquered by Yasha, who is in no hurry to advertise the relationship and is even shy about it.
Epikhodov, Charlotte Ivanovna, Dunyasha and Yasha are walking. Charlotte talks about her loneliness, that there is no person with whom she could have a heart-to-heart talk. Epikhodov feels that Dunyasha gives preference to Yasha and is very upset by this. It hints that he is ready to commit suicide. Dunyasha is passionately in love with Yasha, but his behavior shows that for him this is just a passing hobby.
Ranevskaya, Gaev, Lopakhin appear near the church. Gaev discusses the advantages railway, which allowed them to easily get into town and have breakfast. Lopakhin asks Lyubov Andreevna to give an answer about renting the estate’s lands, but she doesn’t seem to hear him, talking about the lack of money and scolding herself for spending it unreasonably. At the same time, a little later, after these considerations, he gives a gold ruble to a random passerby.
Ranevskaya and Gaev are waiting for a money transfer from Aunt Countess, but the amount is not enough to pay off their debts, and renting out the land to summer residents is not acceptable for them, it’s even vulgar. Lopakhin is surprised at the frivolity and short-sightedness of their behavior, it even angers him, because the estate is for sale, and if you start leasing it, then this will be the best guarantee for any bank. But the landowners do not hear and do not understand what Lopakhin is trying to convey to them. Lyubov Andreevna reproaches the merchant for his lack of education and down-to-earth judgment. And then he tries to marry Varya to him. Gaev, as always at the wrong time, reports that he was offered a job at a bank, but his sister besieges him, saying that he has nothing to do there. Old Firs comes, remembers his youth and how good life was under serfdom, everything was clear and understandable: who is the master and who is the servant.
Then Varya, Anya and Petya join the walkers. And yesterday’s conversation continues about pride, about intellectuals who, despite their outward education, are essentially petty and uninteresting creatures. It becomes clear how different people gathered together.
When everyone went home, Anya and Petya were left alone, and then Anya admitted that the cherry orchard was not so important to her, and that she was ready for a new life.
Act 3
The third act of The Cherry Orchard takes place in the living room in the evening.
An orchestra is playing in the house, couples are dancing around. All characters here, except for Lopakhin and Gaev. August 22 is the day on which the auction for the sale of the estate was scheduled.
Pishchik and Trofimov are talking, they are interrupted by Lyubov Andreevna, she is extremely excited, waiting for her brother to return from the auction, he is delayed. Ranevskaya wonders whether the auction took place and what its result was.
Was the money sent by the aunt enough to buy out the estate, although she understands that 15 thousand is not enough, which will not even be enough to pay off the interest on the debts. Charlotte Ivanovna entertains those present with her tricks. Yasha asks to go to Paris with his hostess, as he is burdened by the surrounding rudeness and lack of education. The atmosphere in the room is nervous. Ranevskaya, anticipating her imminent departure to France and meeting her lover, is trying to sort out the lives of her daughters. She also prophesies Lopakhin to Varya, and would not mind marrying Anya off to Petya, but she is afraid of his incomprehensible position as an “eternal student.”
At this moment, a dispute arises that you can lose your head for the sake of love. Lyubov Andreevna reproaches Petya for being “above love,” and Petya reminds her that she is striving for an unworthy person who has already robbed and abandoned her once. Although there is no exact news yet about the sale of the house and garden, it is felt that everyone present has decided what they will do if the garden is sold.
Epikhodov is trying to talk to Dunyasha, who has completely lost interest in him; Varya, who is just as excited as her adoptive mother, drives him away, reproaching him for being too free for a servant. Firs is fussing around, serving treats to the guests, everyone notices that he is not feeling well.
Lopakhin enters, barely hiding his joy. He arrived with Gaev, who was supposed to bring news from the auction. Leonid Andreevich is crying. The news of the sale is reported by Ermolai Alekseevich. He's the new owner! And after that he gives vent to his feelings. He is delighted that the most beautiful estate, in which his grandfather and father were slaves, now belongs to him, and he can allow himself to do whatever he wants in it, the owner of not only the estate, but also life: “I can pay for everything.” ! He can’t wait to start cutting down the garden in order to build dachas in its place, and this is the new life that he sees.
Varya throws away the keys and leaves, Lyubov Andreevna sobs, Anya tries to console her, saying that there is still a lot of good things ahead, and life goes on.
Act 4
Act four begins in the nursery, but it is empty, except for luggage and things prepared for removal in the corner. The sound of trees being cut down can be heard from the street. Lopakhin and Yasha are waiting for the former owners to appear, to whom their former peasants came to say goodbye. Lopakhin sees off the Ranevskaya family with champagne, but no one has the desire to drink it. All characters have different moods. Lyubov Andreevna and Gaev are sad, Anya and Petya are looking forward to the beginning of a new stage of life, Yasha is glad that he is leaving his homeland and mother, which is boring to him, Lopakhin can’t wait to close the house as soon as possible and start the project that he has in mind. The former owner holds back her tears, but when Anya says that after the sale of the estate it only became easier for everyone, since they were all able to understand where to move next, everyone agrees with her. Now everyone is going to Kharkov together, and there the heroes’ paths will diverge. Raevskaya and Yasha are leaving for Paris, Anya is going to study, Petya is going to Moscow, Gaev has agreed to serve in a bank, Varya has found a job as a housekeeper in a nearby town. Only Charlotte Ivanovna is not settled, but Lopakhin promises to help her get settled. He took Epikhodov to his place to help resolve issues with the estate. Of the former inhabitants of this house, the only one who is not fussing is the sick Firs, who was supposed to be taken to the hospital in the morning, but because of the commotion they cannot figure out whether he was taken there or not.
Pischik runs in for a minute, to the surprise of everyone, he repays his debt to Lopakhin and Ranevskaya, and says that he leased his land to the British for the extraction of rare white clay. And he admits that handing over the estate’s lands was like jumping off a roof for him, but after handing over, nothing terrible happened.
Lyubov Andreevna undertakes last try arrange the marriage of Lopakhin and Varya, but left alone, Lopakhin never proposes, and Varya is very upset. The crews arrived and the loading of things began. Everyone comes out, only the brother and sister are left to say goodbye to the house in which they spent their childhood and youth, they sob, hugging each other, saying goodbye to the past, dreams and memories, to each other, realizing that their lives have changed irrevocably.
The house is closed. And then Firs appears, who was simply forgotten in this turmoil. He sees that the house is closed and he has been forgotten, but he has no anger at the owners. He simply lies down on the sofa and soon dies.
The sound of a string breaking and an ax hitting wood. A curtain.
Conclusion
This is a retelling of the content of the play “The Cherry Orchard”. By reading “The Cherry Orchard” in abbreviation, you will, of course, save time, but for a better acquaintance with the characters, to understand the idea and problems of this work, it is advisable to read it in full.
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Retelling rating
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