The Cherry Orchard

Event Date: 

Thursday, November 15, 2018 - 8:00pm to Saturday, November 17, 2018 - 10:00pm
Friday, November 16, 2018 - 2:00pm to Saturday, November 17, 2018 - 4:00pm

Event Date Details: 

November 15-17

FREE, not ticketed

Event Location: 

  • TD-West 1507

photo by Taylor Tuers

 

by Anton Chekhov    directed by Julie Fisher

adapted by Libby Appel    from the literal translation by Alison Horsley

 

The Cherry Orchard concerns an aristocratic Russian landowner who returns to her family estate (which includes a large and well-known cherry orchard) just before it is auctioned to pay the mortgage. Unresponsive to offers to save the estate, she allows its sale to the son of a former serf; the family leaves to the sound of the cherry orchard being cut down. The story presents themes of cultural futility – both the futile attempts of the aristocracy to maintain its status and of the bourgeoisie to find meaning in its newfound materialism. It dramatizes the socio-economic forces in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, including the rise of the middle class after the abolition of serfdom in the mid-19th century and the decline of the power of the aristocracy.

About the Author

Anton Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860, in Taganrog, Russia. He was the son of a serf, a physician, and he forged a literary career more out of the necessity for cash than for passion. He is as famous for his short stories as for his plays.  Chekhov’s enormous body of work chronicles the natural eccentricities of life and the farce, passion and deep longing of living it.  He lived and wrote during a time of great social and political change – on the cusp of the Russian Revolution.  Chekhov’s plays were produced collaboratively with Constantin Stanislavski and the Moscow Art Theater. These astounding plays, include The Seagull (1895), Uncle Vanya (1897), The Three Sisters (1901) and The Cherry Orchard (1904).  Chekhov died of tuberculosis on July 15, 1904, in Badenweiler, Germany.  His final play, The Cherry Orchard, was produced only six months before Chekhov’s death on January 17, 1904.

 

About the Adaptor

Libby Appel is currently the Artistic Director Emerita of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  She was the artistic director of OSF from 1995 through 2007 where she directed 30 plays.  Prior to that she was the artistic director of Indiana Repertory Theatre for 4 years and Dean and Artistic director of the School of Theatre at California Institute of the Arts.  She was also head of the acting program at California State University, Long Beach and taught acting at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago. Libby has directed in theaters throughout the country doing over 30 productions of Shakespeare’s plays and all of Chekhov’s plays. She has recently completed five new translations of Chekhov’s plays along with Russian to English translator, Allison Horsley.  The translations are now available in a new book,  Five Chekhov Plays, which include Ivanov, Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard.  She is the author of Mask Characterization: An Acting Process, and co-created and produced the video Inter/Face: The Actor and The Mask.  She also co-created two plays, Shakespeare’s Women and Shakespeare’s Lovers. She is profiled, because of her deep love and extraordinary practice with the works of Anton Chekhov, in the documentary: Meeting With Chekhov (a Coffee and Language film). Libby has honorary doctorates from Southern Oregon University, University of Portland and Willamette University.  She has an M.A. from Northwestern University and a B.A. from the University of Michigan (Phi Beta Kappa).  She is the recipient of the Stephen and Christine Schwarzman Award for Excellence: Lifetime Achievement in Theater which was awarded at the Kennedy Center in 2010.

 

B.F.A. Acting Project 2018

This is a process-oriented rehearsal experience devoted to an ensemble exploration of a play.  The room-project concept allows for actors alongside a director to delve into the realization of a play using existing studio resources.  The primary focus for each actor will be character development and full habitation of the world of the play.  It is by design that the imagination and ingenuity of the actors manifest all the aspects of production of the play.  

 

Gallery 

photo by Taylor Tuers

photo by Taylor Tuers

photo by Taylor Tuers

 

 

The department's productions are not targeted to children. | Please contact 805-893-3022 with special needs.
Season schedule subject to change.