People who don’t really like Anton Chekhov’s plays complain that they are without plot, that nothing happens, that they are about only atmosphere. Of course this isn’t true, as director Jack Sbarbori clarifies in “The Cherry Orchard” at Quotidian Theatre, a production that underscores how wrong it is to consider Chekhov a quaint commentator on everyday reality in early 20th century Russia. “The Cherry Orchard” takes place in 1912 when Mme. Ranevskaya (Jane Squier Bruns), in Paris for five years, returns to her Russian ancestral estate with her daughter, Anya (Jenn Pommerenke). Her brother, Gaev (John Decker), has been living at the estate, as has her adopted daughter, Varya (Laura Russell). A group of family, employees and locals anxiously await Ranevskaya’s arrival.
Once they settle in, the merchant Lopakhin (Steve LaRocque) reminds Ranevskaya that the estate and its cherry orchard, which holds near-mythic memories for all those who knew it years earlier, must go to auction to pay the family’s debts.
| Onstage |
| ‘The Cherry Orchard’ |
| Where: Quotidian Theatre Company, The Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda |
| When: Through Aug. 7 |
| Info: $20 to $25; 301-816-1023; [email protected] |
Sbarbori’s actors handle the subtleties of Chekhov’s plot sensitively. They demonstrate the gradual process of accretion by which Chekhov establishes character, theme and story. They don’t hurry the pace at which individuals meet, realign relationships, assess their fates. But the production’s pace is not static. In fact, the best scenes are provided by four actors who represent the play’s major sources of energy.
James Flanagan’s performance as Petya is outstanding. He is so convincing in his energetic talk of the future and the importance of work, one is tempted to mistake his philosophy for Chekhov’s own.
The volatile Anya is young enough to be idealistic. As Pommerenke plays her, she makes a compelling argument for a belief in the future, the reason why Chekhov called this play a comedy: Her future holds promise for change.
Sharlotta (Stephanie Mumford), a governess, is one of Chekhov’s most whimsical creatures. Although a minor character, she is a unique human being who adds an offbeat dimension to the play.David Dubov endows the clerk Yepikhodov with rustic charm and humor.
In a letter to his brother in 1889, talking of his writing, Chekhov wrote “the more mosaic-like the results, the better.” In this production, it’s possible to see why the mosaic, a pattern rather than a straightforward line, wasChekhov’s true goal.
