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Inside This Guide
Synopsis/About the Author 2
Historical Context 3
Who’s Who 4
An Interview with Ben Barnes 5
Glossary of Terms/ Themes 6
Visiting The Rep 8
The Milwaukee Repertory Theater Presents
THE CHERRY ORCHARD
Study Guide Created By Janine Bannier, Education Intern and Rebecca Witt, Education Coordinator
Edited By Jenny Kostreva, Education Director Kristin Crouch, Literary Director
BY ANTON CHEKHOV APRIL 17 - MAY 10, 2009
A STUDY GUIDE FOR STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS
This study guide is researched and designed by the
Education Department at the Milwaukee Repertory
Theater and is intended to prepare you for your visit.
It contains information that will deepen your
understanding of, and appreciation for, the production.
We‟ve also included questions and activities for you to
explore before and after our performance of
THE CHERRY ORCHARD
If you would like to schedule a classroom workshop, or if we can help in any other way, please contact:
Jenny Kostreva at (414) 290- [email protected]
Rebecca Witt at (414) 290- [email protected]
Synopsis
About The Author
THE CHERRY ORCHARD is the story of Madame Ranevskaya, her family and their cherry orchard estate in Russia. The play opens in May, with everyone awaiting the return of Madame Ranevskaya and her daughter Anya from Paris. When they arrive there is much talk of love and happiness between the family members. Unfortunately, the homecoming is not completely happy. Madame Ranevskaya is now in debt and neither she nor her brother, Gayev, have money to pay the mortgage on the estate. If they are unable to pay for the estate by August, it will be auctioned off. Lopakhin, a former servant of the family and now a shrewd businessman, suggests that Madame Ranevskaya build villas she can lease and then use the money to pay the mortgage. Madame Ranevskaya and Gayev object, saying they will work something out on their own. On the night of the auction, Madame Ranevskaya has taken no action about her increasing debt and even holds a dance at the estate. But, she is still nervous about the outcome of the auction and hopes for a miracle. Will her cherry orchard estate be bought or will Madame Ranevskaya be given another chance at paying off the mortgage?
Anton Chekhov was born January 29, 1860 in the small town of Taganrog, a port on the Sea of Azov in Russia. He was a grandson of a serf who bought his family‟s freedom before their emancipation. Chekov attended a Greek Parochial school as a child and later went on to attend the Taganrog Classical Gimnaziya (high school). He studied both Greek and Latin classics in school, which is the literary basis that led him into writing. His father ran a grocery store and went bankrupt in 1876, forcing Chekhov‟s family to flee to Moscow in order to avoid debtors prison. Three years later, Chekhov joined his family in Moscow and attended the medical school at Moscow University. Through his medical work, Chekhov had become the bread winner of his family as his father could not find steady employment. He also began to obtain odd jobs as a freelance journalist and wrote comic sketches.
His writing career began to take off as he continued to write humorous journals and farcical sketches. By 1888 he became very popular with the lowbrow public. During this time, there was a sudden drop in the number of sketches that Chekhov was producing a year, but the quality of his work began to rise. The humor in the stories became more and more obscure, and the now underlying comedy in his works was the staple of his portfolio.
In 1889, Chekhov began to focus on more serious stories. The most notable was A DREARY STORY, the study of the mind of an elderly professor of medicine who was about to die. The play, IVANOV, was also written at this time. These works are called Chekhov‟s clinical studies, which focus on the experiences of the mentally ill. In the early 1890s Chekhov worked as a doctor, helping to relieve the poor and the sick of the famine that had struck Moscow. During this time, Chekhov wrote many short stories considered today to be masterpieces. Village life took hold of Chekhov‟s work, dominating most of the themes and story lines. After two years, Chekhov began an expedition on the island of Sakhalin to study the indigenous peoples who lived there. There he wrote UNCLE VANYA, one of his most highly regarded plays. It was published in 1897.
Chekov co-founded the Moscow Art Theatre with Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and Konstanin
ACTIVITY: The play focuses memories and items that are sentimental for the family. Madame Ranevskaya has an attachment to the nursery in her house because it reminds her of better times. Bring in something that is sentimental to you and share the item with a small group. Why is it important to you? Would it be hard for you to let it go if you were forced to?
Madame Ranevskaya: The owner of the cherry orchard estate. She comes from an aristocratic family, but married beneath her. After her son Grisha drowned, Madame Ranevskaya fled to Paris. Since then, she has accumulated many debts and lives in the past.
Yermolai Alexeyitch Lopakhin: His family were former serfs on Madame Ranevskaya‟s estate. Although he was born into a family of serfs, Lopakhin is now a wealthy landowner and a shrewd businessman.
Leonid Andreyitch Gayev: Madame Ranevskaya's older unmarried brother who often describes billiards shots at inappropriate times to try to relieve tension.
Varya: Madame Ranevskaya's oldest daughter who is adopted. She is the estate manager and works very hard but has little to show for it.
Anya: Madame Ranevskaya's youngest daughter who traveled to Paris with her. Anya lives a very sheltered life.
Peter Trofimov: Tutor of Madame Ranevskaya‟s deceased son and a scholar at the local university.
Firs: Born a serf on Madame Ranevskaya‟s estate. Though he is free, he has not been able to adapt and reminisces of the past.
Dunyasha: A young servant.
Yasha: Madame Ranevskaya‟s manservant who traveled to Paris with her.
Simeon Panteleyitch Ephikodov: A clerk who works on the estate.
Charlotte Ivanovna: Anya's governess. Popular for her magic tricks.
Simeonov-Pishchik: A land-owning neighbor. He spends the play in debt, although he is able to pay off some of it at the end.
WHAT’S IN A NAME? Russians have three names. Using Madame Raneveskaya’s name as an example, here is the explanation of the three names. A given name: Lyubov A patronymic name (male name) identifying one’s father: Andreyevna (daughter of Andrey) A surname (a family name): Ranevskaya In Chekhov's time, decorum prescribed several proper uses of names. Title and surname is used for formal relationships: Madame Ranevskaya Given name and patronymic were slightly less formal: Lyubov Andreyevna Given name alone for family: Lyubov Diminutive of the given name for affection (nickname): Lyuba Andreyevna Ranevskaya
ACTIVITY: What would your name be in Russian Society? Share your new Russian name with friends and make a name tag for yourself. Try to spend a whole day being called only by your new Russian name.
Who’s Who
Resources and Further Reading
Chekhov, Anton. The Essential Tales of Chekhov. Harper Perennial, London: 2000.
Donahue, Tim. A Teacher Guide to Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. University of South Carolina. 2005. Department of Theatre and Dance. 2 March 2009. .
Lindheim, Ralph. The Cherry Orchard: Chekhov’s Praise of Folly. University of Toronto. 3 March 2009. .
Rayfield, Donald. Understanding Chekhov: A Critical Study of Chekhov’s Prose and Drama. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison: 1999.
Thomas, Steve. Letters of Anton Chekhov. 1 January 2003. University of Adelaide Library. 2 March 2009. .
Thompson, John M. Russia and the Soviet Union: A Historical Introduction From the Kieven State to the Present. Westview Press, Colorado:
How did you get into theater? Did you always want to direct?
I have never done anything in the theater other than direct (and as an Artistic Director, of course, produce). I became interested in directing when I was at University studying Medieval Irish history; I received a scholarship from our Arts Council to study directing after I graduated and have been doing it steadily since then.
You’ve worked with The Rep numerous times before as a director. How does the rehearsal process differ from show to show? Are there any similarities?
If it is a small show like ENDGAME you tend to have more access to the actors and can develop a close and intense rehearsal process. With big shows like A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY, and now THE CHERRY ORCHARD, the logistics are much more complicated- actors in other shows, separate choreography rehearsals, crowd scenes, etc. The management of the time is crucial and much more pre-planning to maximize the available hours goes on. I would also say that much of the staging has to be done in a piecemeal fashion and then assembled during the technical period on stage. This can put quite a lot of pressure on those technical days late in the process.
Each show has its own appeal. What attracted you to direct- ing Anton Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD? What do you want the audience will get out of watching the play?
I have spent my career working in equal measure on new and contemporary plays on the one hand and classic plays on the other. Classics have that status because they are timeless and can speak to people across the generations. I have always admired the plays of Chekhov because they seem to mirror for me the majesty as well as the imperfection of life. They are full of hopeless characters who somehow muddle through but are not without their moments of majesty. These are timeless plays of deep human emotion beautifully crafted. The stories seem incidental. And Chekhov is always a surprise. The whole is so much more than the sum of its parts.
Why do you think Chekhov’s work is so widely produced to this day? How is he relevant to current society?
I think Chekhov‟s greatness is bound up with all the things I referred to in my answer above. THE CHERRY ORCHARD describes a world in transition, which started with the emancipation of the serfs and finished with the Russian revolution. The old aristocracy is swept away in this „once in an era‟ event when the earth shifts on its axis. And in those momentous times there will always be those who can cope and those who can‟t. Those who will adapt and those who cannot. Winners and losers. Have we not reached another such moment in the cycle of human experience? It seems to me that the death of capitalism as we have known it is upon us and THE CHERRY ORCHARD might be, at some level, a cautionary tale from another time. So: relevant? I think so.
An Interview With
Ben Barnes, Director
From ENDGAME, which Barnes directed for The Rep in
- Pictured are Resident Acting Company Members Lee Ernst and Laura Gordon.
Modernity vs. The Old Russia
A recurrent theme throughout Russian literature is the clash between the values of modernity and the values of “old Russia”. Modernity signifies rationalism, secularism and materialism. Much of late nineteenth -century Russian literature was written in reaction to the change from old Russia to modernity and in praise of Russia's history and folklore. In THE CHERRY ORCHARD, the conflict between Gayev and Ranevskaya on the one hand and Lopakhin and Trofimov on the other can be seen as emblematic of the disputes between the old feudal order and Westernization. The conflict is made most explicit in the speeches of Trofimov, who views Russia's historical legacy as oppressive, something to be abandoned instead of exalted.
DISCUSSION: In small groups discuss the idea of modernity today. What new technologies have come about in the past 10 years? Do you think that people of the older generations are having a more difficult time adapting to the new, modern world? Where have you seen conflicts of interest in your own life? Do you think that this new technology will help or hinder us?
Social Change and Progress
Several characters address the difference between social change and social progress. Firs and Trofimov are two of them. Both question the utility of the Liberation. As Firs notes, it made everyone happy but they did not know what they were happy for. Firs himself is living proof of this discrepancy: society has changed, but his life has not progressed. Both characters agree that the Liberation is not enough to constitute pro- gress; while it was a necessary change it was not enough to bring mankind to the idealized future Trofimov imagines. The play leaves the impression that while change has come, there is more work to be done.
DISCUSSION: THE CHERRY ORCHARD is seen as a social commentary on life in Russia in the early 1900s. Find modern examples of TV, movies, plays and books that comment on
our society. What social problems can you identify in our world? Are any of these problems similar to issues in THE CHERRY ORCHARD? What differences do you see?
Independence, Liberation and Freedom
Much of THE CHERRY ORCHARD deals with the theme of independence. Fundamentally, it demands that we ask what it means to be free. In the play, Russia has been liberated but most of the population was not free. Lopakhin has been able to take advantage of his liberation to make himself independent. However, Firs, though he is technically free, has not changed his position at all and is still subject to the family he serves. Madame Ranevskaya is not free either, but in a very different way from Firs. She has enough assets to be able to control her own destiny but she is a slave to her passions, spends extravagantly and makes poor decisions. The difference in these situations demonstrates the observations of many Russians of the time: officially liberating a group of people is not the same as making them free. If you do not also equip them with the tools they need to become independent, such as education and land, they never will be truly independent. Trofimov, the play's idealist, offers an interesting definition of freedom for the audience to consider. According to Trofimov, he is a free man because he is beholden to no one, which is why he refuses the offer of Lopakhin's money.
ACTIVITY: With your class, make a chart of freedoms we have today. Rank these freedoms in order of importance. Why have you chosen these freedoms over others? Do you think that freedoms vary depending on who you are? Why is this so? Does freedom make us inde- pendent? Discuss these questions as a class. Try to relate your answers to your own life.
The Milwaukee Repertory Theater is housed in the Milwaukee Center at the corner of Wells and Water Streets, downtown. Our building was formerly the home of the Electric Railway and Light Company. This name is still carved on the wall outside.
You‟ll enter on the Wells Street side into a large, open space. Our box office will be visible on your left as you come through the front doors. The large space is the main hub for the businesses that share this building: a bank, an office tower, the Pabst Theater, and the Intercontinental Hotel. There will be a staircase on your left. You will take this staircase to the Powerhouse Theater lobby.
Inside the lobby are restrooms, water fountains, and a coat check. If you decide to bring a snack, please know that food and drink are NOT permitted in the theater. However, you can leave things (at your own risk) in the coat check room, and enjoy them outside the theater during intermission. Most plays have one intermission that is about 20 minutes long. You might also want to look for signs in the lobby which give the full “running time” of the play.
For more information on our education programs and our productions, please visit our website at www.milwaukeerep.com
Programs in the Education Department receive generous funding from:
The Helen Bader Foundation The Einhorn Family Foundation
The Harley Davidson Foundation The Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation
Dorothy Inbusch Foundation, Inc Johnson Controls
The Milwaukee Arts Board MPS Partnership for the Arts
“The theatre is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life.” Arthur Miller
Our lives are greatly enhanced with theater. Studying and viewing it teaches us about other cultures and times, col- laboration, work ethic, and imagina- tion. We become more aware of the world around us with these concepts, and in addition to this, more alert to and responsive of human nature. With this improved understanding of what theater can provide for us we are able to gain a better appreciation not only for theater, but for life as well.
THE MILWAUKEE REPERTORY
THEATER EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT
Jenny Kostreva, Education Director 414-290- [email protected]
Rebecca Witt, Education Coordinator 414-290- [email protected]
VISITING THE REP
