The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov - Unabridged

Name: The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov - Unabridged
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)
ISBN: 9798892821872

By Anton Chekhov & Kevin Theis

Publisher Description

"The Cherry Orchard" is one of Russian writer Anton Chekhov's most celebrated plays and is considered by literary critics as one of the finest theatrical works ever written.

Produced by the famed Russian director Konstantin Stanislavski at the Moscow Arts Theatre in 1904, "The Cherry Orchard" would prove to be Chekhov's last play, as he succumbed to tuberculosis later that same year.

Billed as a comedy, the play revolves around dark themes: the decline of the Russian aristocracy, the new materialism of the former serfs and the power shift that resulted from the rise of a newly created Russian middle class.

At the outset of the play, Madame Ranyevskaya is returning to her family's estate to oversee the auction of the land (and the eponymous cherry orchard contained thereon) to help pay off the family's debts. She is reluctant to redevelop the land in order to save the estate, as that would involve destroying a portion of the orchard, but struggles with the fact that there is no guarantee that the new owner will fulfill her wishes and preserve the land as it is.

Hailed as one of the greatest works of the period when it first premiered, "The Cherry Orchard" is numbered among Chekhov's four outstanding works for the theatre, which also includes "The Sea Gull," "The Three Sisters" and "Uncle Vanya."

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About Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian playwright and short story writer whose modernistic approach to both mediums has made him one of the most revered authors of all time. After surviving a poor and abusive childhood, Chekhov was forced to find his own way in the world and take care of his family. He began writing short, humorous stories to supplement his income and soon became a widely praised and popular short story writer. Shortly before he began writing plays, Chekhov learned he had tuberculosis, which would ultimately claim his life, but not before he produced four of the greatest works of the Russian theatre: The Seagull (1895), Uncle Vanya (1897), The Three Sisters (1900) and The Cherry Orchard (1903). Chekhov's modernistic approach to theatre - in which he explored a new concept that became known as "realism" - attracted the attention of legendary director Konstantin Stanislavsky who proceeded to produce his works at the renowned Moscow Art Theatre and cemented Chekhov as the premiere dramatist of his day. Chekhov ultimately succumbed to tuberculosis in 1904 but his literary reputation lives on. His plays have been translated into dozens of languages and have been performed around the world for over a century. Anton Chekhov is regularly cited by literary critics as not only one of the finest writers in Russia, but among the most revered and celebrated authors of all time.