“˜Orchard’ in full bloom

The audience’s laughter at a performance of “The
Cherry Orchard” on Feb. 10 was utterly fascinating. Anton
Chekhov’s seminal play, showing until March 19th at the Mark
Taper Forum, follows the plight of an aristocratic family
struggling to avoid the sale of its estate. The characters spend
two and a half hours looming on the precipice of disaster, one
auction away from the loss of everything they cherish most. The
play begins on an optimistic note, as the owner of the estate,
Ranyevskaya, returns to Russia after several years abroad. The
newly reunited Lyubov family savors the idle leisure of inherited
wealth, a life dominated by obsequious acquaintances and
conversations that strive for profundity but usually fall far
short. Trouble soon arises in the form of unpaid debts that
threaten to undermine their world of aristocratic comforts. Within
days, all could be lost. Yet the audience often reacts to this
world of subtle despair not with tears, nor solemn silence, but
rather expressions of mirth. As the wealthy Russians suffer on
stage, the crowd laughs. It chuckles. It even occasionally guffaws.
And therein lies the key to Chekhov’s genius. While many
playwrights could compose a tragedy about loss and frustrated
dreams, or a lighthearted comedy lampooning the foolish foibles of
the wealthy, Chekhov manages to combine these disparate themes into
a play that fosters a complex, even confusing, emotional response.
Rarely have sympathy and mockery fused so powerfully. One pities
the suffering Lyubov family, yet cannot help but snicker at its
irresponsible extravagance. And after four acts alternately filled
with off-stage laughter and on-stage weeping, one is struck by the
eerily similar cadence of both reactions. Even the sounds of joy
and despair begin to blur. By successfully capturing the
paradoxical nature of “The Cherry Orchard,” director
Sean Mathias brings the unique magic of Chekhovian theater to a
modern audience. This is no small feat. Since its premiere in 1904,
directors have struggled to preserve Chekhov’s vision for
“The Cherry Orchard.” The playwright famously lashed
out at the director of the initial production, complaining,
“Is it my “˜Cherry Orchard’? I am describing life,
ordinary life, and not blank despondency. They either turn me into
a cry baby or a bore.” Fortunately, under Mathias’
guidance, Chekhov is neither, and the audience can enjoy the
ordinary life he strove so earnestly to portray. Annette Bening
leads a stellar cast in the Taper production. Playing Ranyevskaya,
she captures the well-meaning but foolish philosophy of a social
class slowly going extinct in early 20th century Russia. As joyous
reunions quickly segue into laments of loss, death and the
impermanence of human pleasures, Bening’s convincing
performance makes it impossible to view the Lyubovs’ plight
with disinterest. Alfred Molina, best remembered as Doc Ock in
“Spider-Man 2,” succeeds in the more serious role of
Lopakhin, an upwardly mobile businessman laboring to overcome his
peasant roots. Molina’s nuanced performance allows
Lopakhin’s complicated character to shine. He is both
admirable and still detestable, a noble friend and callous betrayer
““ the very embodiment of Chekhov’s complicated art. See
the Taper production of “The Cherry Orchard.” It is one
of the greatest plays ever written, performed by a world-class
collection of actors. Poignant, insightful and surprisingly
relevant, Chekhov’s masterpiece leaves an indelible
impression. You’ll laugh. You’ll think. And
you’ll never look at real estate squabbles the same way
again.

“”mdash; Brendan Kearns