The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard is Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1904, just months before the author's death, in a production directed by Konstantin Stanislavski. The playwright's wife Olga Knipper played Madame Ranevskaya in this production, as well as in the 300th production of the play by the theatre in 1943.

Related Topics:
Anton Chekhov - Play - Moscow Art Theatre - 1904 - Konstantin Stanislavski - Olga Knipper - 1943

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Although the play is viewed by most as a tragicomedy, Chekhov called it a comedy and even claimed that it had many farcical elements.

Related Topics:
Tragicomedy - Comedy - Farcical

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Lyubov Ranevskaya returns to her Russian country house with her adopted daughter Varya, her 18-year old daughter Anya, and several other people. They stay there for almost a year. Ranevskaya, Varya, and Anya live there with Ranyevskaya's brother, Gayev, a maid, Dunyasha and there are several other people that stay and visit throughout the play.

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Ranevskaya's main problem is the lack of money that is very troublesome for her. Throughout the play there are various solutions suggested to her, but she doesn't do anything. The orchard is consequently sold in an auction to Yermolay Alekseyevich Lopakhin, a man whose ancestors were serfs on the property. In the end, the orchard is chopped down by Lopakhin.

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