Anton Chekhov’s Last Play The Cherry Orchard

Kim Kwang-bo, a theater director whose credits include both classical and modern works, presents Anton Chekhov on stage for the first time in his 30-year career. Chekhov’s last play The Cherry Orchard is often identified as one of the four outstanding plays by the master of realism. It revolves around an aristocratic family facing the imminent loss of their cherry orchard—their only haven where joys and sorrows co-exist. Kim’s careful analysis adds depth to the play about people who compromise and turn away from reality each in their own ways. The result is a vivid portrait of life in a rapidly changing society. Actor Baek Ji-won returns to stage for the first time in five years in the role of Madame Ranevsky, a landowner who sees the last of the once-glorious cherry orchard.

Goodbye, my cherry orchard!

The cherry orchard was the only place I could come back to. My life, my youth, my happiness…

I’ve finally returned home, but now I must leave the cherry orchard again. I wish I could save it, but I can’t. Will they cut down the cherry orchard? I’m left with the only choice which I wish I could avoid.

Make up your mind! I swear there’s no other way out.

No one is listening. No matter how much he speaks out about the only way to save the cherry orchard, there’s no answer. Now, the day the cherry orchard is due to be sold is fast approaching.

Synopsis

Ranevsky is a fallen aristocrat and landowner. The cherry orchard in her estate is full of memories of her childhood. The garden is so beautiful that it’s even mentioned in the encyclopedia. Here, her family has accumulated wealth, and enjoyed their noble status for generations. After spending six years abroad, she returns home penniless. Due to a financial crisis, her beloved cherry orchard is about to be auctioned off. Lopakhin, whose father was the serf of the noble family, has become a successful entrepreneur. He suggests renting out villas as a solution, but nobody takes heed. In the end, the cherry orchard is set to be auctioned off on 22 August.

Written by Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov was born into a peasant family in 1860 in Taganrog in southern Russia. In 1879, he entered I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. However, unable to abandon his dream of becoming a writer, he earned a living by contributing short stories to magazines rather than practicing medicine. For five years from 1882, he published more than 300 short stories. In 1888, his short story collection At Dusk earned him the prestigious Pushkin Prize, attracting much attention from the literary world. Chekhov quickly emerged as a leading voice of Russian literature. Today, he is considered one of the world’s top three short story writers, along with Edgar Allan Poe and Guy de Maupassant. His works continue to have a profound impact on numerous writers worldwide. In addition to short fiction, he devoted himself to writing plays from 1896 onwards. Of his many masterpieces, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard are considered his four major plays. Anton Chekhov died in 1904 at the age of 44 after a long struggle with tuberculosis, which had been exacerbated by overexertion. Even today his plays and novels are widely enjoyed around the world.

Directed by Kim Kwang-bo

While respecting and analyzing text in depth, Kim Kwang-bo explores and conveys the sematic structure and symbolism of subtext. Based on minimalistic stage, he builds allegorical implication and a system of symbolism, layering comedic humor and pathos, and creating a rhythmic world through repetition and difference. Kim founded the theater company Chungwoo in 1994, and has since served as its CEO and standing director. His directorial works such as The First Kiss of Mankind, That’s Not the Case, Julius Caesar, Pillars of Society, and I Want to Know Your Parents have won the hearts of critics and audiences alike. He has received a number of prestigious theater awards including the Baeksang Arts Award, the Dong-A Theatre Award, and Lee Hae-rang Theater Award. Kim Kwang-bo was appointed as the Artistic Director of the National Theater Company of Korea in November, 2020. The acclaimed director constantly asks questions about various issues of our times, thereby reflecting on today’s society through theater.

Major Works

Saint Joan, Après-girl, Fishman, The Pretenders, Rooftop Pepper Farm, Hamik, Henry IV, BEA, Frozen, Along with the Gods, We Are Brothers, Living Lee Jungsaeng, Pillars of Society, Julius Caesar, Women Who Stole the Battlefield, A Steady Rain, That’s Not the Case, I Want to Know Your Parents, The Master Has Arrived, Underground People

Awards

• The Korean Theater Review: 7 Best Productions (2017) – Rooftop Pepper Farm
• International Association of Theatre Critics-Korea: 3 Best Productions of the Year (2017) – Rooftop Pepper Farm
• Lee Hae-rang Theater Award (2016)
• Dong-A Theater Award Best Production, Best Director (2014) – Julius Caesar