The Cherry Orchard when written. The Cherry Orchard
“The Cherry Orchard” – drama or comedy? A. P. Chekhov called “The Cherry Orchard” a comedy. But the play has everything: tragedy, farce, and lyrical comedy. How to determine the genre of such a complex play? How to explain why I. S. Turgenev calls such sad plays as “The Freeloader” and “A Month in the Country” comedies? Why did A. N. Ostrovsky classify such works as “The Forest”, “The Last Victim”, “Guilty Without Guilt” into the comedy genre?
“The Cherry Orchard” is a play of the 20th century. Pushkin's understanding of high comedy, which, according to him, comes close to tragedy, can nowadays be conveyed using another term: tragicomedy. In tragicomedy, the playwright reflects the same phenomena of life in both comic and tragic light. At the same time, the tragic and the comic, interacting, strengthen each other, and an organic unity is obtained, which can no longer be divided into its component parts.
So, “The Cherry Orchard” is most likely a tragicomedy. Let us remember the third action: on the very day when the estate is sold at auction, a holiday is held in the house. Let's read the author's remark. The ballroom dance conductor turns out to be... Simeonov-Pishchik. It is unlikely that he changed into a tailcoat. This means, as always, in a vest and trousers, fat, out of breath, he shouts out the necessary ballroom commands, and does it in French, which he does not know. And then Chekhov mentions Vara, who “cries quietly and, dancing, wipes away her tears!” The situation is tragicomic: while dancing, she cries. It's not just Vara. Lyubov Andreevna, singing a lezginka, anxiously asks about her brother. Anya, who had just excitedly told her mother the rumor that the cherry orchard had already been sold, immediately goes to dance with Trofimov.
All this cannot be sorted into categories: here it is comic, and there it is tragic. This is how a new genre arises, allowing one to simultaneously convey pity for the characters in the play, anger, sympathy for them, and their condemnation - everything that flowed from the author’s ideological and artistic intent.
Chekhov’s judgment is interesting: “No plots are needed. There are no plots in life, everything is mixed in it - the deep with the shallow, the great with the insignificant, the tragic with the funny.” Obviously, Chekhov had reasons not to make a sharp distinction between the funny and the dramatic.
He did not recognize the division of genres into high and low, serious and funny. This does not exist in life, and it should not exist in Art either. In the memoirs of T. L. Shchepkina-Kupernik there is the following conversation with Chekhov:
“- I wish I could write such a vaudeville: two people wait out the rain in an empty barn, joke, laugh, declare their love - then the rain passes, the sun shines - and suddenly he dies of a broken heart!
God with you! - I was amazed. - What kind of vaudeville will this be?
But it is vital. Isn't that what happens? We're joking, laughing - and suddenly - bang! End!"
I think the genre of tragicomedy fully reflects the diversity of life, the mixture of joyful and mournful, farcical and sorrowful in it.
The play The Cherry Orchard was completed by A.P. Chekhov in 1903. It was a time of aggravation of social contradictions and a rapid rise of the social movement. “The Cherry Orchard” became the writer’s pinnacle work, his swan song.
The play that had just been written immediately caused fierce debate: “What is it: a comedy or a drama?” And currently there are different opinions on this issue. The fact is that Chekhov himself understood comedy as a drama, ridiculing vulgarity with subtle irony. That is why in “The Cherry Orchard” he laughs and is sad along with his heroes.
Here in front of us are Ranevskaya and Gaev, the old owners of the cherry orchard. What are they? And what is Chekhov’s attitude towards these characters? Ranevskaya is, at first glance, a kind and easy-going person. She is characterized by sincerity, grace, and emotionality. She sincerely rejoices at her return home, kisses her loved ones, and cannot hold back her tears when meeting them. Ranevskaya is generous and merciful, she can give her last penny to a passerby. Lopakhin recalls how Lyubov Andeevna once took pity on him: “Don’t cry, little man, he’ll live until the wedding”... It may seem that Gaev is also generous in spirit. He dearly loves his niece Anya, appreciates the beauty of the cherry orchard and cannot imagine that it would be cut down and divided into summer cottages.
Why does Chekhov laugh at Ranevskaya and her brother? Of course, because they are helpless in life, they don’t know how to do anything themselves. Both of them are incapable of doing anything useful and live with empty ideas: either they take money from a rich merchant, or they hope to “receive an inheritance from someone” or “give off” ... Anya to a very rich man. The writer finds their empty talk funny. But at the same time, Chekhov is sad when showing his heroes. The writer is sad because the “nest of the nobility” is dying, people are passing away who could have lived it interestingly, fully, but did not use their abilities and capabilities. And along with these people beauty dies.
Presenting to us all his heroes as if in double lighting, A.P. Chekhov, it seems to me, created a completely new genre - the genre of lyrical drama. The play “The Cherry Orchard” awakens our thoughts, forcing us to reflect, think about important issues of human life, laugh and cry.
A.P. Chekhov wrote a wonderful play “The Cherry Orchard” in 1903. The art world, as well as the socio-political world, felt the need for renewal. A.P. Chekhov, already a gifted writer who showed his skill in short stories, entered dramaturgy as a discoverer of new ideas. The premiere of the play "The Cherry Orchard" gave rise to a lot of discussion among critics and spectators, among actors and directors about the genre characteristics of the play. Let's consider what "The Cherry Orchard" is in terms of genre - drama, tragedy or comedy.
While working on the play, A.P. Chekhov spoke in letters about its character as a whole: “What came out of me was not a drama, but a comedy, in some places even a farce...” In letters to Vl. A.P. Chekhov warned I. Nemirovich-Danchenko that Anya should not have a “crying” tone, so that in general there would not be “a lot of crying” in the play. The production, despite its resounding success, did not satisfy A.P. Chekhov. Anton Pavlovich expressed dissatisfaction with the general interpretation of the play: “Why is my play so persistently called a drama on posters and in newspaper advertisements? Nemirovich and Alekseev (Stanislavsky) see in my play positively not what I wrote, and I am ready to give any word that Both of them have never read my play carefully." Thus, the author himself insists that The Cherry Orchard is a comedy. This genre did not at all exclude the serious and sad in A.P. Chekhov. Stanislavsky, obviously, violated the Chekhovian measure in the relationship between the dramatic and the comic, the sad and the funny. The result was drama where A.P. Chekhov insisted on lyrical comedy.
One of the features of “The Cherry Orchard” is that all the characters are presented in an ambivalent, tragicomic light. The play has purely comic characters: Charlotte Ivanovna, Epikhodov, Yasha, Firs. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov laughs at Gaev, who “lived his fortune on candy,” at the sentimental Ranevskaya, who is beyond her age, and her practical helplessness. Even over Petya Trofimov, who, it would seem, symbolizes the renewal of Russia, A.P. Chekhov is ironic, calling him an “eternal student.” Petya Trofimov deserved this attitude from the author with his verbosity, which A.P. Chekhov did not tolerate. Petya pronounces monologues about workers who “eat disgustingly and sleep without pillows,” about the rich who “live in debt, at someone else’s expense,” about “a proud man.” At the same time, he warns everyone that he is “afraid of serious conversations.” Petya Trofimov, having done nothing for five months, keeps telling others that “they have to work.” And this is with the hardworking Vara and the businesslike Lopakhin! Trofimov does not study because he cannot both study and support himself. Petya Ranevskaya gives a very sharp but accurate description regarding Trofimova’s “spirituality” and “tact”: “... You have no purity, and you are just a neat person.” A.P. Chekhov speaks ironically about his behavior in his remarks. Trofimov either screams “with horror”, then, choking with indignation, cannot utter a word, then threatens to leave and cannot do this.
A.P. Chekhov has certain sympathetic notes in his portrayal of Lopakhin. He does everything possible to help Ranevskaya keep the estate. Lopakhin is sensitive and kind. But in double lighting he is far from ideal: there is a businesslike winglessness in him, Lopakhin is not capable of getting carried away and loving. In his relationship with Varya, he is comical and awkward. The short-term celebration associated with the purchase of a cherry orchard is quickly replaced by a feeling of despondency and sadness. Lopakhin utters a significant phrase with tears: “Oh, if only all this would pass, if only our awkward, unhappy life would somehow change.” Here Lopakhin directly touches on the main source of drama: it lies not in the struggle for the cherry orchard, but in dissatisfaction with life, experienced differently by all the characters in the play. Life goes on awkwardly and awkwardly, bringing no joy or happiness to anyone. This life is unhappy not only for the main characters, but also for Charlotte, lonely and useless, and for Epikhodov with his constant failures.
When determining the essence of a comic conflict, literary scholars argue that it rests on the discrepancy between appearance and essence (comedy of situations, comedy of characters, etc.). In the “new comedy” by A.P. Chekhov, the words, deeds and actions of the characters are in precisely such a discrepancy. The internal drama of everyone turns out to be more important than external events (the so-called “undercurrents”). Hence the “tearfulness” of the characters, which does not have a tragic connotation at all Monologues and remarks “through tears” most likely speak of the characters’ excessive sentimentality, nervousness, and sometimes even irritability. Hence, the pervasive Chekhovian irony seems to be asking questions to both the audience, the readers, and himself: why is this so. Do people waste their lives so carelessly? Why do they waste words and vitality so irresponsibly, naively believing that they will live forever and there will be an opportunity to live their lives completely again? The heroes of the play deserve both pity and merciless “laughter through the invisible.” tears to the world."
In Soviet literary criticism, it was traditional to “group” the heroes of the play, calling the representatives of Russia’s “past” Gaev and Ranevskaya, its “present” - Lopakhin, and its “future” - Petya and Anya. I think this is not entirely true. According to one of the theatrical versions of the play “The Cherry Orchard,” the future of Russia turns out to be people like the lackey Yasha, who looks to where the power and finances are. In my opinion, A.P. Chekhov cannot do without sarcasm here either, since he does not see the place where the Lopakhins, Gaevs, Ranevskys and Trofimovs will find themselves after a little more than ten years, when such Yakovs will carry out their trial? A.P. Chekhov, with bitterness and regret, searches for Man in his play and, it seems to me, does not find him.
Undoubtedly, the play "The Cherry Orchard" is characterized by complexity and ambiguity. That is precisely why today the interest of directors from many countries around the world is riveted to it; “The Cherry Orchard” does not leave the theater stage. The debate about the genre of the work continues. However, we should not forget that A.P. Chekhov himself called his creation a comedy.
Comedy in 4 acts
Characters
Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, landowner. Anya, her daughter, 17 years old. Varya, her adopted daughter, 24 years old. Gaev Leonid Andreevich, brother of Ranevskaya. Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, merchant. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich, student. Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich, landowner. Charlotte Ivanovna, governess. Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich, clerk. Dunyasha, maid. Firs, footman, old man 87 years old. Yasha, a young footman. Passerby. Station Manager. postal official. Guests, servants.The action takes place on the estate of L.A. Ranevskaya.
Act one
A room that is still called a nursery. One of the doors leads to Anya's room. Dawn, the sun will rise soon. It’s already May, the cherry trees are blooming, but it’s cold in the garden, it’s morning. The windows in the room are closed.
Dunyasha enters with a candle and Lopakhin with a book in his hand.
Lopakhin. The train arrived, thank God. What time is it now? Dunyasha. Soon it's two. (Puts out the candle.) It’s already light. Lopakhin. How late was the train? For at least two hours. (Yawns and stretches.) I'm good, what a fool I've been! I came here on purpose to meet him at the station, and suddenly overslept... I fell asleep while sitting. It's a shame... I wish you could wake me up. Dunyasha. I thought you left. (Listens.) Looks like they're already on their way. Lopakhin (listens). No... Get your luggage, this and that...Lyubov Andreevna lived abroad for five years, I don’t know what she’s become now... She’s a good person. An easy, simple person. I remember when I was a boy of about fifteen, my late father - he was selling in a shop here in the village - hit me in the face with his fist, blood came out of my nose... Then we came together to the yard for some reason, and he was drunk. Lyubov Andreevna, as I remember now, still young, so thin, led me to the washstand, in this very room, in the nursery. “Don’t cry, he says, little man, he’ll heal before the wedding...”
A peasant... My father, it’s true, was a peasant, but here I am in a white vest and yellow shoes. With a pig's snout in a Kalash row... Just now he's rich, a lot of money, but if you think about it and figure it out, then the man is a man... (Flips through the book.) I read the book and didn’t understand anything. I read and fell asleep.
Dunyasha. And the dogs didn’t sleep all night, they sense that their owners are coming. Lopakhin. What are you, Dunyasha, so... Dunyasha. Hands are shaking. I'll faint. Lopakhin. You are very gentle, Dunyasha. And you dress like a young lady, and so does your hairstyle. You can not do it this way. We must remember ourselves.Epikhodov enters with a bouquet; he is wearing a jacket and brightly polished boots that squeak loudly; upon entering, he drops the bouquet.
Epikhodov (raises the bouquet). So the Gardener sent it, he says, to put it in the dining room. (Gives Dunyasha a bouquet.) Lopakhin. And bring me some kvass. Dunyasha. I'm listening. (Leaves.) Epikhodov. It's morning, the frost is three degrees, and the cherry trees are all in bloom. I cannot approve of our climate. (Sighs.) I can’t. Our climate may not be conducive just right. Here, Ermolai Alekseich, let me add to you, I bought myself boots the day before, and they, I dare to assure you, squeak so much that there is no way. What should I lubricate it with? Lopakhin. Leave me alone. Tired of it. Epikhodov. Every day some misfortune happens to me. And I don’t complain, I’m used to it and even smile.Dunyasha comes in and gives Lopakhin kvass.
I will go. (Bumps into a chair, which falls.) Here... (As if triumphant.) You see, excuse the expression, what a circumstance, by the way... This is simply wonderful! (Leaves.)
Dunyasha. And to me, Ermolai Alekseich, I must admit, Epikhodov made an offer. Lopakhin. A! Dunyasha. I don’t know how... He’s a quiet man, but sometimes when he starts talking, you won’t understand anything. It’s both good and sensitive, just incomprehensible. I kind of like him. He loves me madly. He is an unhappy person, something happens every day. They tease him like that: twenty-two misfortunes... Lopakhin (listens). Looks like they're coming... Dunyasha. They're coming! What's wrong with me... I'm completely cold. Lopakhin. They really are going. Let's go meet. Will she recognize me? We haven't seen each other for five years. Dunyasha (excited). I'm going to fall... Oh, I'm going to fall!You can hear two carriages approaching the house. Lopakhin and Dunyasha quickly leave. The stage is empty. There is noise in the neighboring rooms. Firs, who had gone to meet Lyubov Andreevna, hurriedly passes across the stage, leaning on a stick; he is in an old livery and a tall hat; He says something to himself, but not a single word can be heard. The noise behind the stage is getting louder and louder. Voice: “Let’s go here...” Lyubov Andreevna, Anya and Charlotte Ivanovna with a dog on a chain, dressed for travel. Varya in a coat and scarf, Gaev, Simeonov-Pishchik, Lopakhin, Dunyasha with a bundle and an umbrella, a servant with things - everyone is walking through the room.
Anya. Let's go here. Do you, mom, remember which room this is? Lyubov Andreevna (joyfully, through tears). Children's! Varya . It’s so cold, my hands are numb. (To Lyubov Andreevna.) Your rooms, white and purple, remain the same, mommy. Lyubov Andreevna. Children's room, my dear, beautiful room... I slept here when I was little... (Crying.) And now I'm like a little girl... (Kisses his brother, Varya, then his brother again.) But Varya is still the same, she looks like a nun. And I recognized Dunyasha... (Kisses Dunyasha.) Gaev. The train was two hours late. What's it like? What are the procedures? Charlotte (to Pishchik). My dog also eats nuts. Pishchik (surprised). Just think!Everyone leaves except Anya and Dunyasha.
Dunyasha. We're tired of waiting... (Takes off Anya’s coat and hat.) Anya. I didn’t sleep on the road for four nights... now I’m very cold. Dunyasha. You left during Lent, then there was snow, there was frost, but now? My darling! (Laughs, kisses her.) I've been waiting for you, my sweet little light... I'll tell you now, I can't stand it for one minute... Anya (sluggishly). Something again... Dunyasha. The clerk Epikhodov proposed to me after the Saint. Anya. You're all about one thing... (Straightens her hair.) I lost all my pins... (She is very tired, even staggering.) Dunyasha. I don't know what to think. He loves me, he loves me so much! Anya (looks at his door, tenderly). My room, my windows, as if I never left. I'm home! Tomorrow morning I’ll get up and run to the garden... Oh, if only I could sleep! I didn’t sleep the whole way, I was tormented by anxiety. Dunyasha. On the third day Pyotr Sergeich arrived. Anya (joyfully). Peter! Dunyasha. They sleep in the bathhouse and live there. I'm afraid, they say, to embarrass me. (Looking at his pocket watch.) We should have woken them up, but Varvara Mikhailovna didn’t order it. You, he says, don’t wake him up.Varya enters, she has a bunch of keys on her belt.
Varya . Dunyasha, coffee quickly... Mommy asks for coffee. Dunyasha. Just a minute. (Leaves.) Varya . Well, thank God, we've arrived. You're home again. (Caresing.) My darling has arrived! The beauty has arrived! Anya. I've suffered enough. Varya . I'm imagining! Anya. I left during Holy Week, it was cold then. Charlotte talks the whole way, performing tricks. And why did you force Charlotte on me... Varya . You can’t go alone, darling. At seventeen! Anya. We arrive in Paris, it’s cold and snowy. I speak French terrible. Mom lives on the fifth floor, I come to her, she has some French ladies, an old priest with a book, and it’s smoky, uncomfortable. I suddenly felt sorry for my mother, so sorry, I hugged her head, squeezed her with my hands and couldn’t let go. Mom then kept caressing and crying... Varya (through tears). Don't talk, don't talk... Anya. She had already sold her dacha near Menton, she had nothing left, nothing. I also didn’t have a penny left, we barely got there. And mom doesn't understand! We sit down at the station for lunch, and she demands the most expensive thing and gives the footmen a ruble each as a tip. Charlotte too. Yasha also demands a portion for himself, it’s just terrible. After all, mom has a footman, Yasha, we brought him here... Varya . I saw a scoundrel. Anya. Well, how? Did you pay interest? Varya . Where exactly. Anya. My God, my God... Varya . The estate will be sold in August... Anya. My God... Lopakhin (looks through the door and hums). Me-e-e... (Leaves.) Varya (through tears). That's how I would give it to him... (Shakes his fist.) Anya (hugs Varya, quietly). Varya, did he propose? (Varya shakes her head negatively.) After all, he loves you... Why don’t you explain what you’re waiting for? Varya . I don't think anything will work out for us. He has a lot to do, he has no time for me... and he doesn’t pay attention. God be with him, it’s hard for me to see him... Everyone talks about our wedding, everyone congratulates, but in reality there is nothing, everything is like a dream... (In a different tone.) Your brooch looks like a bee. Anya (sad). Mom bought this. (He goes to his room, speaks cheerfully, like a child.) And in Paris I flew in a hot air balloon! Varya . My darling has arrived! The beauty has arrived!Dunyasha has already returned with a coffee pot and is making coffee.
(Stands near the door.) I, my dear, spend the whole day doing housework and still dreaming. I would marry you off to a rich man, and then I would be at peace, I would go to the desert, then to Kyiv... to Moscow, and so on I would go to holy places... I would go and go. Splendor!.. Anya. Birds sing in the garden. What time is it now? Varya . It must be the third one. It's time for you to sleep, darling. (Entering Anya’s room.) Splendor!Yasha comes in with a blanket and a travel bag.
Yasha (walks across the stage, delicately). Can I go here, sir? Dunyasha. And you won’t recognize you, Yasha. What have you become abroad? Yasha. Hm...Who are you? Dunyasha. When you left here, I was like... (Points from the floor.) Dunyasha, Fedora Kozoedov's daughter. You do not remember! Yasha. Hm... Cucumber! (Looks around and hugs her; she screams and drops the saucer. Yasha quickly leaves.) Varya (at the door, in a dissatisfied voice). What else is there? Dunyasha (through tears). I broke the saucer... Varya . This is good. Anya (leaving his room). I should warn my mother: Petya is here... Varya . I ordered him not to wake him. Anya (thoughtfully.) Six years ago my father died, a month later my brother Grisha, a handsome seven-year-old boy, drowned in the river. Mom couldn’t bear it, she left, left, without looking back... (Shudders.) How I understand her, if only she knew!And Petya Trofimov was Grisha’s teacher, he can remind you...
Firs enters; he is wearing a jacket and a white vest.
Firs (goes to the coffee pot, worried). The lady will eat here... (Puts on white gloves.) Is your coffee ready? (Strictly to Dunyasha.) You! What about cream? Dunyasha. Oh, my God... (Quickly leaves.) Firs (busts around the coffee pot). Eh, you klutz... (Mumbling to himself.) We came from Paris... And the master once went to Paris... on horseback... (Laughs.) Varya . Firs, what are you talking about? Firs. What do you want? (Joyfully.) My lady has arrived! Waited for it! Now at least die... (Cries with joy.)Enter Lyubov Andreevna, Gaev, Lopakhin and Simeonov-Pishchik; Simeonov-Pishchik in a thin cloth undershirt and trousers. Gaev, entering, makes movements with his arms and body, as if playing billiards.
Lyubov Andreevna. Like this? Let me remember... Yellow in the corner! Doublet in the middle! Gaev. I'm cutting into the corner! Once upon a time, you and I, sister, slept in this very room, and now I am already fifty-one years old, oddly enough... Lopakhin. Yes, time is ticking. Gaev. Whom? Lopakhin. Time, I say, is ticking. Gaev. And here it smells like patchouli. Anya. I'll go to bed. Good night, Mom. (Kisses mother.) Lyubov Andreevna. My beloved child. (Kisses her hands.) Are you glad you're home? I won't come to my senses. Anya. Goodbye, uncle. Gaev (kisses her face, hands). The Lord is with you. How similar you are to your mother! (To her sister.) You, Lyuba, were exactly like that at her age.Anya shakes hands with Lopakhin and Pishchik, leaves and closes the door behind her.
Lyubov Andreevna. She was very tired. Pischik. The road is probably long. Varya (Lopakhin and Pishchik). Well, gentlemen? It's the third hour, it's time to know the honor. Lyubov Andreevna(laughs). You are still the same, Varya. (Draws her to him and kisses her.) I'll have some coffee, then we'll all leave.Firs puts a pillow under her feet.
Thank you dear. I'm used to coffee. I drink it day and night. Thank you, my old man. (Kisses Firs.)
Varya . To see if all the things were brought... (Leaves.) Lyubov Andreevna. Is it really me sitting? (Laughs.) I want to jump and wave my arms. (Covers his face with his hands.) What if I'm dreaming? God knows, I love my homeland, I love it dearly, I couldn’t watch from the carriage, I kept crying. (Through tears.) However, you need to drink coffee. Thank you, Firs, thank you, my old man. I'm so glad you're still alive. Firs. Day before yesterday. Gaev. He doesn't hear well. Lopakhin. Now, at five o'clock in the morning, I have to go to Kharkov. Such a shame! I wanted to look at you, talk... You are still just as gorgeous. Pishchik (breathes heavily). Even prettier... Dressed like a Parisian... my cart is lost, all four wheels... Lopakhin. Your brother, Leonid Andreich, says about me that I’m a boor, I’m a kulak, but that doesn’t really matter to me. Let him talk. I only wish that you would still believe me, that your amazing, touching eyes would look at me as before. Merciful God! My father was a serf to your grandfather and father, but you, in fact, you once did so much for me that I forgot everything and love you like my own... more than my own. Lyubov Andreevna. I can't sit, I can't... (Jumps up and walks around in great excitement.) I won’t survive this joy... Laugh at me, I’m stupid... The closet is my dear... (Kisses the closet.) The table is mine. Gaev. And without you, the nanny died here. Lyubov Andreevna (sits down and drinks coffee). Yes, the kingdom of heaven. They wrote to me. Gaev. And Anastasius died. Parsley Kosoy left me and now lives in the city with the bailiff. (Takes a box of lollipops out of his pocket and sucks.) Pischik. My daughter, Dashenka... I bow to you... Lopakhin. I want to tell you something very pleasant and funny. (Looking at his watch.) I’m leaving now, I don’t have time to talk... well, I’ll say it in two or three words. You already know that your cherry orchard is being sold for debts, an auction is scheduled for August twenty-second, but don’t worry, my dear, sleep well, there is a way out... Here is my project. Attention please! Your estate is located only twenty miles from the city, there is a railway nearby, and if the cherry orchard and the land along the river are divided into summer cottages and then rented out as summer cottages, then you will have at least twenty-five thousand a year in income. Gaev. Sorry, what nonsense! Lyubov Andreevna. I don’t quite understand you, Ermolai Alekseich. Lopakhin. You will take the smallest amount from the summer residents, twenty-five rubles a year for a tithe, and if you announce it now, then I guarantee anything, you won’t have a single free scrap left until the fall, everything will be taken away. In a word, congratulations, you are saved. The location is wonderful, the river is deep. Only, of course, we need to clean it up, clean it up... for example, say, demolish all the old buildings, this house, which is no longer good for anything, cut down the old cherry orchard... Lyubov Andreevna. Shut down? My dear, forgive me, you don’t understand anything. If there is anything interesting, even wonderful, in the entire province, it is only our cherry orchard. Lopakhin. The only remarkable thing about this garden is that it is very large. Cherries are born once every two years, and there’s nowhere to put them, no one buys them. Gaev. And the Encyclopedic Dictionary mentions this garden. Lopakhin (looking at his watch). If we don’t come up with anything and come to nothing, then on August 22 both the cherry orchard and the entire estate will be sold at auction. Make up your mind! There is no other way, I swear to you. No and no. Firs. In the old days, about forty to fifty years ago, cherries were dried, soaked, pickled, jam was made, and it used to be... Gaev. Shut up, Firs. Firs. And it used to be that dried cherries were sent by cartload to Moscow and Kharkov. There was money! And dried cherries then were soft, juicy, sweet, fragrant... They knew the method then... Lyubov Andreevna. Where is this method now? Firs. Forgot. Nobody remembers. Pischik (To Lyubov Andreevna). What's in Paris? How? Did you eat frogs? Lyubov Andreevna. Ate crocodiles. Pischik. Just think... Lopakhin. Until now, there were only gentlemen and peasants in the village, but now there are also summer residents. All cities, even the smallest ones, are now surrounded by dachas. And we can say that in twenty years the summer resident will multiply to an extraordinary extent. Now he only drinks tea on the balcony, but it may happen that on his one tithe he will start farming, and then your cherry orchard will become happy, rich, luxurious... Gaev (indignant). What nonsense!Varya and Yasha enter.
Varya . Here, mommy, there are two telegrams for you. (He selects a key and unlocks the antique cabinet with a jingle.) Here they are. Lyubov Andreevna. This is from Paris. (Tears up telegrams without reading.) It's over with Paris... Gaev. Do you know, Lyuba, how old this cabinet is? A week ago I pulled out the bottom drawer and looked and there were numbers burned into it. The cabinet was made exactly one hundred years ago. What's it like? A? We could celebrate the anniversary. An inanimate object, but still, after all, a bookcase. Pishchik (surprised). A hundred years... Just think!.. Gaev. Yes... This is a thing... (Having felt the closet.) Dear, respected closet! I greet your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice; your silent call to fruitful work has not weakened for a hundred years, maintaining (through tears) in generations of our family vigor, faith in a better future and nurturing in us the ideals of goodness and social self-awareness. Lopakhin. Yes... Lyubov Andreevna. You are still the same, Lepya. Gaev (a little confused). From the ball to the right into the corner! I'm cutting it to medium! Lopakhin (looking at his watch). Well, I have to go. Yasha (gives Lyubov Andreevna medicine). Maybe you should take some pills now... Pischik. There is no need to take medications, my dear... they do no harm or good... Give it here... dear. (Takes the pills, pours them into his palm, blows on them, puts them in his mouth, and washes them down with kvass.) Here! Lyubov Andreevna(scared). You're crazy! Pischik. I took all the pills. Lopakhin. What a mess.Everyone laughs.
Firs. They were with us on Holy Day, they ate half a bucket of cucumbers... (Mumbling.) Lyubov Andreevna. What is he talking about? Varya. He's been mumbling like this for three years now. We're used to it. Yasha. Advanced age.Charlotte Ivanovna in a white dress, very thin, tight-fitting, with a lorgnette on her belt, she walks across the stage.
Lopakhin. Sorry, Charlotte Ivanovna, I haven’t had time to say hello to you yet. (Wants to kiss her hand.) Charlotte (removing her hand). If I let you kiss my hand, you will then wish on the elbow, then on the shoulder... Lopakhin. I'm having no luck today.Everyone laughs.
Charlotte Ivanovna, show me the trick!
Lyubov Andreevna. Charlotte, show me a trick! Charlotte. No need. I want to sleep. (Leaves.) Lopakhin. See you in three weeks. (Kisses Lyubov Andreevna’s hand.) Goodbye for now. It's time. (To Gaev.) Goodbye. (Kisses Pishchik.) Goodbye. (Gives his hand to Varya, then to Firs and Yasha.) I don't want to leave. (To Lyubov Andreevna.) If you think about dachas and decide, then let me know, I’ll get you a loan of fifty thousand. Seriously think about it. Varya (angrily). Yes, finally leave! Lopakhin. I'm leaving, I'm leaving... (Leaves.) Gaev. Ham. However, sorry... Varya is marrying him, this is Varya’s groom. Varya . Don't say too much, uncle. Lyubov Andreevna. Well, Varya, I will be very glad. He is a good man. Pischik. Man, we must tell the truth... the most worthy... And my Dashenka... also says that... she says different words. (Snores, but wakes up immediately.) But still, dear lady, lend me... a loan of two hundred and forty rubles... pay the interest on the mortgage tomorrow... Varya (scared). No, no! Lyubov Andreevna. I really have nothing. Pischik. There will be some. (Laughs.) I never lose hope. Now, I think, everything is lost, I’m dead, and lo and behold, the railroad passed through my land, and... they paid me. And then, look, something else will happen not today or tomorrow... Dashenka will win two hundred thousand... she has a ticket. Lyubov Andreevna. The coffee is drunk, you can rest. Firs (cleans Gaeva with a brush, instructively). They put on the wrong pants again. And what should I do with you! Varya (quietly). Anya is sleeping. (Quietly opens the window.) The sun has already risen, it’s not cold. Look, mommy: what wonderful trees! My God, the air! The starlings are singing! Gaev (opens another window). The garden is all white. Have you forgotten, Lyuba? This long alley goes straight, like a stretched belt, it sparkles on moonlit nights. Do you remember? Have you forgotten? Lyubov Andreevna (looks out the window at the garden). Oh, my childhood, my purity! I slept in this nursery, looked at the garden from here, happiness woke up with me every morning, and then he was exactly the same, nothing has changed. (Laughs with joy.) All, all white! Oh my garden! After a dark, stormy autumn and cold winter, you are young again, full of happiness, the heavenly angels have not abandoned you... If only I could take the heavy stone off my chest and shoulders, if only I could forget my past! Gaev. Yes, and the garden will be sold for debts, oddly enough... Lyubov Andreevna. Look, the late mother is walking through the garden... in a white dress! (Laughs with joy.) That's her. Gaev. Where? Varya . The Lord is with you, mommy. Lyubov Andreevna. There is no one, it seemed to me. To the right, at the turn towards the gazebo, a white tree bent over, looking like a woman...Trofimov enters, wearing a worn student uniform and glasses.
What an amazing garden! White masses of flowers, blue sky...
Trofimov. Lyubov Andreevna!She looked back at him.
I will just bow to you and leave immediately. (Kisses his hand warmly.) I was ordered to wait until the morning, but I didn’t have enough patience...
Lyubov Andreevna looks in bewilderment.
Varya (through tears). This is Petya Trofimov... Trofimov. Petya Trofimov, your former teacher Grisha... Have I really changed that much?Lyubov Andreevna hugs him and quietly cries.
Gaev (embarrassed). Full, full, Lyuba. Varya (crying). I told you, Petya, to wait until tomorrow. Lyubov Andreevna. Grisha is my... my boy... Grisha... son... Varya . What should I do, mommy? God's will. Trofimov (softly, through tears). It will be, it will be... Lyubov Andreevna(cries quietly). The boy died, drowned... Why? For what, my friend? (Quietly.) Anya is sleeping there, and I’m talking loudly... making noise... What, Petya? Why are you so stupid? Why have you aged? Trofimov. One woman in the carriage called me this: shabby gentleman. Lyubov Andreevna. You were just a boy then, a cute student, but now you don’t have thick hair and glasses. Are you still a student? (Goes to the door.) Trofimov. I must be a perpetual student. Lyubov Andreevna (kisses his brother, then Varya). Well, go to sleep... You too have aged, Leonid. Pishchik (follows her). So, now go to bed... Oh, my gout. I’ll stay with you... I would like, Lyubov Andreevna, my soul, tomorrow morning... two hundred and forty rubles... Gaev. And this one is all his own. Pischik. Two hundred and forty rubles... to pay interest on the mortgage. Lyubov Andreevna. I have no money, my dear. Pischik. I'll give it back, honey... The amount is trivial... Lyubov Andreevna. Well, okay, Leonid will give... You give it, Leonid. Gaev. I'll give it to him, keep your pocket. Lyubov Andreevna. What to do, give it... He needs... He will give it.Lyubov Andreevna, Trofimov, Pischik and Firs leave. Gaev, Varya and Yasha remain.
Gaev. My sister has not yet gotten over the habit of wasting money. (To Yasha.) Move away, my dear, you smell like chicken. Yasha (with a grin). And you, Leonid Andreich, are still the same as you were. Gaev. Whom? (Vara.) What did he say? Varya (Yasha). Your mother came from the village, has been sitting in the common room since yesterday, wants to see you... Yasha. God be with her! Varya . Ah, shameless! Yasha. Very necessary. I could come tomorrow. (Leaves.) Varya . Mommy is the same as she was, hasn’t changed at all. If she had her way, she would give everything away. Gaev. Yes...If a lot of remedies are offered against a disease, this means that the disease is incurable. I think, I’m racking my brains, I have a lot of money, a lot, and that means, in essence, none. It would be nice to receive an inheritance from someone, it would be nice to marry our Anya to a very rich man, it would be nice to go to Yaroslavl and try his luck with the aunt countess. My aunt is very, very rich.
Varya (crying). If only God would help. Gaev. Do not Cry. My aunt is very rich, but she doesn’t love us. My sister, firstly, married a lawyer, not a nobleman...Anya appears at the door.
She married a non-nobleman and behaved in a manner that cannot be said to be very virtuous. She is good, kind, nice, I love her very much, but no matter how you come up with mitigating circumstances, I still have to admit that she is vicious. This is felt in her slightest movement.
Varya (whispers). Anya is standing at the door. Gaev. Whom?Surprisingly, something got into my right eye... I couldn’t see well. And on Thursday, when I was in district court...
Anya enters.
Varya . Why aren't you sleeping, Anya? Anya. Can't sleep. I can not. Gaev. My baby. (Kisses Anya’s face and hands.) My child... (Through tears.) You are not a niece, you are my angel, you are everything to me. Believe me, believe... Anya. I believe you, uncle. Everyone loves and respects you... but, dear uncle, you need to be silent, just silent. What did you just say about my mother, about your sister? Why did you say this? Gaev. Yes Yes... (She covers her face with her hand.) Indeed, this is terrible! My God! God save me! And today I gave a speech in front of the closet... so stupid! And only when I finished did I realize that it was stupid. Varya . Really, uncle, you should be silent. Keep quiet, that's all. Anya. If you remain silent, then you yourself will be calmer. Gaev. I'm silent. (Kisses Anya and Varya’s hands.) I'm silent. Just about the matter. On Thursday I was in the district court, well, the company got together, a conversation began about this and that, fifth and tenth, and it seems that it will be possible to arrange a loan against bills to pay interest to the bank. Varya . If only God would help! Gaev. I'll go on Tuesday and talk again. (Vara.) Don’t cry. (Not.) Your mother will talk to Lopakhin; he, of course, will not refuse her... And when you have rested, you will go to Yaroslavl to see the countess, your grandmother. This is how we will act from three ends and our job is in the bag. We'll pay the interest, I'm sure... (Puts a lollipop in his mouth.) On my honor, I swear whatever you want, the estate will not be sold! (Excitedly.) I swear on my happiness! Here's my hand to you, then call me a crappy, dishonest person if I allow it to the auction! I swear with all my being! Anya (the calm mood has returned to her, she is happy). How good you are, uncle, how smart! (Hugs uncle.) I'm at peace now! I'm at peace! I'm happy!Firs enters.
Firs (reproachfully). Leonid Andreich, you are not afraid of God! When should you sleep? Gaev. Now. You go away, Firs. So be it, I’ll undress myself. Well, kids, bye-bye... Details tomorrow, now go to bed. (Kisses Anya and Varya.) I am a man of the eighties... They don’t praise this time, but I can still say that I got a lot in my life for my beliefs. No wonder the man loves me. You need to know the guy! You need to know which... Anya. You again, uncle! Varya . You, uncle, remain silent. Firs (angrily). Leonid Andreich! Gaev. I'm coming, I'm coming... Lie down. From two sides to the middle! I put clean... (He leaves, followed by Firs.) Anya. I'm at peace now. I don’t want to go to Yaroslavl, I don’t like my grandmother, but I’m still at peace. Thanks uncle. (Sits down.) Varya . Need sleep. I'll go. And here without you there was displeasure. In the old servants' quarters, as you know, only old servants live: Efimyushka, Polya, Evstigney, and Karp. They began to let some rogues spend the night with them - I remained silent. Only now, I hear, they spread a rumor that I ordered them to be fed only peas. From stinginess, you see... And this is all Evstigney... Okay, I think. If so, I think, then wait. I call Evstigney... (Yawns.) He comes... What about you, I say, Evstigney... you are such a fool... (Looking at Anya.) Anya!..I fell asleep!.. (Takes Anya by the arm.) Let's go to bed... Let's go!.. (He leads her.) My darling has fallen asleep! Let's go to...
Almost the entire land of the old noble estate, owned by Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya and her brother, Leonid Andreevich Gaev, is occupied by a huge cherry orchard, famous throughout the province. Once upon a time, it gave the owners a large income, but after the fall of serfdom, the economy on the estate fell apart, and the garden remained for him just a non-profitable, albeit charming decoration. Ranevskaya and Gaev, no longer young people, lead an absent-minded, carefree life typical of idle aristocrats. Preoccupied only with her feminine passions, Ranevskaya leaves for France with her lover, who soon robs her completely there. Management of the estate falls on the adopted daughter of Lyubov Andreevna, 24-year-old Varya. She tries to save on everything, but the estate is still mired in unpayable debts. [Cm. full text of “The Cherry Orchard” on our website.]
Act 1 of “The Cherry Orchard” begins with the scene of Ranevskaya, who had gone bankrupt abroad, returning to her home on a May morning. Her youngest daughter, 17-year-old Anya, who has lived with her mother in France for the last few months, also comes with her. Lyubov Andreevna is met on the estate by acquaintances and servants: the rich merchant Ermolai Lopakhin (the son of a former serf), the neighbor-landowner Simeonov-Pishchik, the elderly footman Firs, the frivolous maid Dunyasha and the “eternal student” Petya Trofimov, in love with Anya. The scene of Ranevskaya’s meeting (like all other scenes of “The Cherry Orchard”) is not particularly rich in action, but Chekhov, with extraordinary skill, reveals in her dialogues the characteristics of the characters in the play.
The businesslike merchant Lopakhin reminds Ranevskaya and Gaev that in three months, in August, their estate will be put up for auction for an outstanding debt. There is only one way to prevent its sale and the ruin of the owners: to cut down the cherry orchard and turn over the vacated land for dachas. If Ranevskaya and Gaev do not do this, the garden will almost inevitably be cut down by the new owner, so it will not be possible to save it in any case. However, the weak-willed Gaev and Ranevskaya reject Lopakhin’s plan, not wanting to lose the dear memories of their youth along with the garden. Those who like to have their head in the clouds, they shy away from destroying the garden with their own hands, hoping for some miracle that will help them out in unknown ways.
Chekhov “The Cherry Orchard”, act 1 – summary full text of act 1.
"The Cherry Orchard". Performance based on the play by A. P. Chekhov, 1983
Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard", act 2 - briefly
A few weeks after Ranevskaya's return, most of the same characters gather in a field, on a bench near an old abandoned chapel. Lopakhin again reminds Ranevskaya and Gaev that the deadline for selling the estate is approaching - and again invites them to cut down the cherry orchard, giving the land for dachas.
However, Gaev and Ranevskaya answer him inappropriately and absent-mindedly. Lyubov Andreevna says that “dacha owners are vulgar,” and Leonid Andreevich relies on a rich aunt in Yaroslavl, from whom he can ask for money - but hardly more than a tenth of what is needed to pay off his debts. Ranevskaya's thoughts are all in France, from where the scammer-lover sends her telegrams every day. Shocked by the words of Gaev and Ranevskaya, Lopakhin in his hearts calls them “frivolous and strange” people who do not want to save themselves.
After everyone else has left, Petya Trofimov and Anya remain at the bench. Untidy Petya, who is constantly expelled from the university, so that he cannot complete the course for many years, crumbles in front of Anya in pompous tirades about the need to rise above everything material, above even love itself, and through tireless work to go towards some (incomprehensible) ideal. The existence and appearance of commoner Trofimov is very different from the lifestyle and habits of the nobles Ranevskaya and Gaev. However, in Chekhov's portrayal, Petya appears to be just as impractical a dreamer, just as worthless a person as those two. Petya's sermon is enthusiastically listened to by Anya, who is very reminiscent of her mother in her tendency to get carried away by any emptiness in a beautiful wrapper.
For more details, see the separate article Chekhov “The Cherry Orchard”, act 2 – summary. You can read the full text of Act 2 on our website.
Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard", act 3 - briefly
In August, on the very day of bidding for the estate with the cherry orchard, Ranevskaya, on a strange whim, hosts a noisy party with an invited Jewish orchestra. Everyone is tensely awaiting news from the auction, where Lopakhin and Gaev have gone, but, wanting to hide their excitement, they try to dance cheerfully and joke. Petya Trofimov venomously criticizes Varya for wanting to become the wife of the predatory rich man Lopakhin, and Ranevskaya for having a love affair with an obvious swindler and unwillingness to face the truth. Ranevskaya accuses Petya of the fact that all his bold, idealistic theories are based only on a lack of experience and ignorance of life. At 27 years old, he does not have a mistress, preaches work, and he himself cannot even graduate from university. Frustrated, Trofimov runs away almost in hysterics.
Pre-revolutionary poster for the play based on Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard”
Lopakhin and Gaev return from the auction. Gaev walks away, wiping away his tears. Lopakhin, at first trying to restrain himself, and then with increasing triumph, says that he bought the estate and the cherry orchard - the son of a former serf, who was previously not even allowed into the kitchen here. The dancing stops. Ranevskaya cries, sitting down on a chair. Anya tries to console her with the words that they have beautiful souls instead of a garden, and now they will begin a new, pure life.
For more details, see the separate article Chekhov “The Cherry Orchard”, act 3 – summary. You can read the full text of Act 3 on our website.
Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard", act 4 - briefly
In October, the old owners leave their former estate, where the tactless Lopakhin, without waiting for their departure, already orders the cutting down of the cherry orchard.
A rich Yaroslavl aunt sent Gaev and Ranevskaya some money. Ranevskaya takes them all for herself and again goes to France to visit her old lover, leaving her daughters in Russia without funds. Varya, whom Lopakhin never marries, has to go as a housekeeper to another estate, and Anya will take the exam for the gymnasium course and look for work.
Gaev was offered a place at the bank, but everyone doubts that, due to his laziness, he will sit there for a long time. Petya Trofimov returns to Moscow to study late. Imagining himself as a “strong and proud” person, he intends in the future to “reach the ideal or show others the way to it.” Petya, however, is greatly concerned about the loss of his old galoshes: without them, he has nothing to set off on. Lopakhin goes to Kharkov to immerse himself in work.
Having said goodbye, everyone leaves the house and locks it. The 87-year-old footman Firs, forgotten by his owners, finally appears on the stage. Muttering something about his past life, this sick old man lies down on the sofa and falls silent into motionlessness. In the distance there is a sad, dying sound, similar to the breaking of a string - as if something in life has gone away without return. The ensuing silence is broken only by the knocking of an ax on a cherry tree in the garden.
For more details, see the separate article Chekhov “The Cherry Orchard”, act 4 – summary. On our website you can read and
