By George Basler
Anton Chekhov wrote The Cherry Orchard in 1903 at a time of profound change in his native Russia. The aristocracy was in decline. The business class was on the ascent. Social unrest was in the wind.
It’s a sign of Chekhov’s genius that he profoundly captured this upheaval in his great work, said T. Vaclav Michalec, who is directing a staged reading of the play that Southern Tier Actors Read (S.T.A.R.) will perform Friday through Sunday (Sept. 20-22) at the Phelps Mansion Museum in Binghamton.
Michalec described The Cherry Orchard as a poignant play that captures rapid social change. “It’s a tragic comedy about a class of people who are floundering before our eyes,” he said.
Michalec, who is directing the staged reading at the request of S.T.A.R. Co-president Judy McMahon, has experience as an actor, director and driving force behind Face It! Theatre Company, which focuses on plays dealing with social justice issues. He has participated in other S.T.A.R. readings over the years.
A staged reading means the actors work from scripts with limited staging. Michalec said he is working to inject some movement by the actors into S.T.A.R.’s presentation. He is also playing with color by having the aristocratic characters wear colorful clothes while the other characters wear black and white.
The Cherry Orchard revolves around an aristocratic Russian landowner, who return to her family estate and scenic cherry orchard before the property is auctioned off to pay the mortgage. Ignoring offers to save the estate, she allows the sale to the son of a former serf. The family departs to the sound of the cherry orchard being cut down.
While the story is serious, Chekhov described the play as a comedy, and “some of the characters are absolutely hilarious,” Michalec said.
What’s happening to the characters as they fail to adapt to a changing world is a heavy topic, but The Cherry Orchard is not a heavy play, he emphasized. “The action can be funny, and it’s my task (as a director) to pull it off,” he said.
The 11-member cast is filled with actors who have appeared in numerous regional productions and other S.T.A.R. presentations. Information on the Phelps Mansion’s website lists them as Elizabeth Hotalen, Charles Berman, Andy Chadwick, Willie Dixon, Lisa Dutcher, Bill Gorman, Gary Neal Hanson, Judy McMahon, Chris Nickerson, Corrine Visvary and Kirsten Whistle.
Directing The Cherry Orchard, which he’s doing for the first time, has given Michalec a renewed appreciation for Chekhov’s masterwork. The playwright died in 1904, 13 years before the Bolshevik Revolution, but he could sense a society that was collapsing, and what was coming after it, Michalec said.
This innate sense shows Chekhov’s genius.
IF YOU GO: Southern Tier Actors Read will present a staged reading of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard this weekend (Sept. 20-22) at the Phelps Mansion Museum, 191 Court St., Binghamton. Friday’s performance is at 7:30 p.m.; the Saturday and Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 ($5 for students with an ID). Advance tickets can be ordered at www.phelpsmansion.org or by calling 607-722-4873.
