Middlebury Acting Company To Present THE CHERRY ORCHARD

Middlebury Acting Company will present Chekhov's timeless classic, The Cherry Orchard, on the mainstage at Town Hall Theater October 18 – 20 & 25 – 27.

The matinee performance on Sunday October 20 will be followed by a discussion on the play with Middlebury College Russian Emeritus Professor Michael Katz.

In Chekhov's comedy - perhaps his most popular play - the Gayev family is torn by powerful forces rooted deep in history and in the society around them. Their estate is hopelessly in debt: urged to cut down their beautiful cherry orchard and sell the land for holiday cottages, they struggle to act decisively.  Chekhov's wonderfully vivid characters are full of humor and pathos as they attempt to find love, fulfillment and hope in the dying days of the Russian aristocracy.

The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov's last play, written shortly before his death at age 44, explores familiar Chekhov themes - the difficulty of making authentic connections, the question of why we live, the struggle for love and meaning. Chekhov's empathetic portrayals of deeply quirky characters and his sly sense of humor lifts the material to heights of silliness as well as depths of human pathos.  His deceptively light touch invites us to smile at characters in whom we recognize ourselves with all our flaws and all our courage.

MACo Artistic Director Melissa Lourie directs her own adaptation of the play.  “I have trimmed Jean Claude van Itallie's excellent translation, made some bold directorial choices and am working with wonderful designers to create a visually arresting scenic and auditory environment. And I am thrilled to finally be able to direct my very favorite Chekhov play with a company of outstanding Vermont actors.”  

The Cherry Orchard will feature original music by Stefán Örn Arnarson, an Icelandic composer new to the Middlebury area, scenic design by Ellie Friml, lighting design by Jamien Forrest, and costumes by Marykay Dempewolff.

*This organization is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and The Vermont Community Foundation. Also the Walter Cerf Community Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation.

Tickets will be available at the Town Hall Theater Box Office at: 802-382-9222 or www.townhalltheater.org.

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