The Cherry Orchard
Anton Chekhov
- 54 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
The Cherry Orchard
Anton Chekhov
About This Book
The Cherry Orchard (1903) is Russian playwright and short story writer Anton Chekhov's final play. It was first performed at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1904, directed by acclaimed actor Konstantin Stanislavskiâwho also played the role of Leonid Gayev, the bizarre and uninspired brother of Madame Ranevskaya. It has since become one of twentieth century theater's most importantâand most frequently stagedâdramatic works.
After five years of living in Paris with her loverâwhere she fled following the death of her young sonâMadame Ranevskaya is brought back to her Russian estate by her daughter Anya. In her absence, Varya, Ranevskaya's adopted daughter, has cared for the estate to the best of her ability, but the family's debts have forced them to put the house and its renowned cherry orchard up for auction. Leonid Gayev, Madame Ranevskaya's brother, hopes to keep the estate, while Yermolai Lopakhinâa wealthy neighbor despite being born a peasantâencourages the family to sell. Although they initially shelter Madame Ranevskaya, she soon discovers the truth and decidesâagainst the family's wishesâto throw a party none of them can afford. As the play reaches its tragic conclusion, the wealthy are forced to acknowledge their circumstances have changed, and the characters who depend on them for employment must do what they can to survive. The Cherry Orchard is a powerful drama that takes an unsparing appraisal of the massive shift in political and social circumstances undergone by Russians in the early twentieth century.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard is a classic of Russian literature reimagined for modern readers.