Mikhail Baryshnikov (Firs), Jessica Hecht (Ranevskaya)
The Orchard
Acclaimed Russian Playwright Anton Chekhov (1860 – 1904) wrote his play, The Cherry Orchard in 1903, considered to be one of his most famous plays, along with his plays Uncle Vanya, Seagull, and Three Sisters. The plot of The Cherry Orchard is that a wealthy landowner’s estate must be sold to pay the mortgage. For Igor Golyak’s 2022 interpretation of the play, there is an interesting juxtaposition of the original story interwoven with technology to give it a fresh, modern, and fantasy appeal, yet with a nod to the past, the present, and the future.
Cast
The Orchard
Igor Golyak’s interpretation of The Orchard is presented as a hybrid in two-formats, as In-Person performances at the Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) located at 450 West 37th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues in Manhattan, along with Virtual performances to reach beyond the boundaries of New York City. Patrons can opt to purchase tickets for In-Person performances, Virtual performances, or purchase "bundles" for both In-Person and Virtual performances to have a deeper appreciation and fuller experience.
Nael Nacer (Lopakhin), Jessica Hecht (Ranevskaya),
Mikhail Baryshnikov (Firs), Mark Nelson (Gaev)
The Orchard
We opted for "bundles" and attended The Orchard on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at the BAC, and watched the virtual performance at our home on Thursday, June 16, 2022, providing us with the opportunity to experience The Orchard as a multi-sensory journey. Both versions were compelling and held us spellbound as the play enfolded around us.
Jessica Hecht (Ranevskaya)
The Orchard
The play takes place at the Lyubov Ranevskaya Estate, where the family returns and must resign themselves to the fact that they can no longer maintain their estate and their magnificent cherry orchard unless by some miracle someone can help them, which they cling to up until the dramatic and powerful conclusion of the play. While Chekhov’s play was written in 1903, the plot is especially relevant during these hard-hit economic times with mortgage rates rising daily, and people struggling to pay their loans.
The Orchard
The set design has a futuristic, fantasy mood, as if one were watching it from inside of a dream. The technology is pure genius, where the virtual world and reality collide yet seamlessly meld together, and the costume design ties in the past yet with a modern, contemporary edginess.
Cast
The Orchard
As one would hope with such a talented cast as Mikhail Baryshnikov as Firs/Chekhov, Jessica Hecht as Ranevskaya, Juliet Brett as Anya, Darya Denisova as Charlotta, Elise Kibler as Varya, John McGinty as Trofimov, Nael Nacer as Lapakhin, Mark Nelson as Gaev, and Ilia Volok as Passerby, the actors deliver a memorable and powerful performance. Bravo!
Elise Kibler (Varya), Jessica Hecht (Ranevskaya),
Juliet Brett (Anya), Mark Nelson (Gaev)
The Orchard
The Orchard runs until July 3, 2022. Play runtime is approximately 2 hours without an intermission.
Until next time, keep enjoying and supporting the arts!
The Orchard Cast
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Jessica Hecht
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Ranevskaya
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Mikhail Baryshnikov
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Anton Chekhov & Firs
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Juliet Brett
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Anya
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Darya Denisova
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Charlotta
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Elise Kibler
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Varya
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John McGinty
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Trofimov
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Nael Nacer
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Lopakhin
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Mark Nelson
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Gaev
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Ilia Volok
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Passerby
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Igor Golyak
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Director, Conceiver, Adapter
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Anna Fedorova
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Scenographer
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Oana Botez
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Costume Designer
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Yuki Nakase Link
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Lighting Designer
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Adam Paikowsky
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Designer of Emerging Technologies
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Tom Sepe
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Robotics Designer
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Alex Basco Koch
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Projections Designer
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Tei Blow
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Sound Designer
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Alexey Prosvirnin
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Virtual Sound Designer
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Jakov Jakoulov
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Composer
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Carol Rocamora
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Translator
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Leanna Keyes
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Co-founder of Transcend Streaming
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Seth Gore
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Designer of American Sign Language (DASL)
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Alexander Huh
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Interactivity Designer
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Jennifer Rogers
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Production Stage Manager
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Unreal Design Team
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Athomas Goldberg
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Technical Designer
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Zachary Meicher-Buzzi
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Digital, XR & Theatrical Producer & GM
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Alex Coulombe
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Technical Producer
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Daniel Cormino
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3D Environment Artist
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Yu-Jun Yeh
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Unreal Technical Artist
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Producing Team
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Sara Stackhouse
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Executive Producer
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Staci Levine
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Groundswell Theatricals, Inc.
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Maria Schlover
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Cherry Orchard Festival
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Irina Shabshis
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Cherry Orchard Festival
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Leah Michalos
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MICHALOS MANAGEMENT LLC GM
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Ticketing Options:
Tickets can be purchased for In-Person Performances, Online Performances, or Experience Both with a Bundle. Please visit the website for pricing options: https://www.theorchardoffbroadway.com/ticketbundles
"Live & In Person – Baryshnikov Arts Center, NYC: The Orchard is an intimate, fully staged live performance of The Cherry Orchard. Audiences in the theater will enter an immersive, dreamlike environment where perceptions, illusions, and reality collide as a family in crisis tries to process their uncertain future."
"Virtual Experience Online: The online experience invites audiences on a journey through a beautifully rendered, three-dimensional virtual property that has been abandoned and is in foreclosure. There, audiences can explore and discover magical rooms where they uncover echoes of a past life, now lost, including Chekov’s letters, memories, and ultimately the play, live, in progress at the Baryshnikov Arts Center."
Know Before You Go:
"Please note that proof of full vaccination will be required, and face masks must be worn at all times at Baryshnikov Arts Center."
Location: Hudson Yards neighborhood and is accessible by car, subway, or bus. See the website for additional information.
Baryshnikov Arts Center
450 West 37th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues
New York, New York 10018
United States
Website:www.BACNYC.org
Website: www.theorchardoffbroadway.com
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