The Cherry Orchard is Chekhov's final play, first performed in 1904 at the Moscow Art Theatre and directed by Konstantin Stanislavski. It takes place on the Ranevsky family's country estate, which boasts a large cherry orchard that is in bloom as the play opens. The family is gathering at the estate for a reunion but also to decide how to handle their debts, which have reached a crisis point. The impractical Lyubov and her brother, Gaev, hope for a miracle to pay their mortgage while the successful merchant Lopakhin advises them to cut down the orchard and sell the land. The destinies of the family members mirror the fate of Russia itself as it transitions away from a landed aristocracy toward an uncertain future.

Cast:

Mme. Ranevsky (a landowner) - Elizabeth Klett
Anya (her daughter, age 17) - Amanda Friday
Barbara (her adopted daughter, age 27) - Elizabeth Chambers
Leonidas Gaev (brother to Mme. Ranevsky) - Noel Badrian
Lopakhin (a merchant) - Ben Stevens Peter
Trophimof (a student) - Ted Wenskus
Simeonof-Pishtchik (a landowner) - Tovarisch
Charlotte (a governess) - Linda Barrans
Ephikhodof (a clerk) - Jeff Moon
Dunyasha (a housemaid) - Leanne Yau
Firs (a manservant, age 87) - Denis Daly
Yasha (a young manservant) - Andy Harrington
Tramp and Station-Master - David Prickett
Stage directions read by Maureen Boutilier
Audio edited by Elizabeth Klett