Home » The Orchard, Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York, USA

The Orchard, Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York, USA

BACNYC - The Orchard - Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jessica Hecht

Playwright Anton Chekov wrote The Cherry Orchard in 1903; it was to be his last play and premiered in 1904. In this 2022 version, called The Orchard, directed, conceived, and adapted by Igor Golyak, the play deftly combines the original plot with technology for a modern fantasy of a production. Presented by the Arlekin Players Theatre at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in Manhattan, the play has an impeccable cast featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jessica Hecht, Juliet Brett, Darya Denisova, Elise Kibler, John McGinty, Nael Nacer, Mark Nelson, and Ilia Volok, and runs at the Off-Broadway theatre for a limited engagement until July 3, 2022.

 

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.

BACNYC - The Orchard - CAST
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.

BACNYC - The Orchard - Nael Nacer, Jessica Hecht, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Mark Nelson
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.

BACNYC - The Orchard - Jessica Hecht
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.

BACNYC - The Orchard
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.

BACNYC - The Orchard - CAST
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!

BACNYC - The Orchard - Elise Kibler, Jessica Hecht, Juliett Brett, Mark Nelson
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

Jessica Hecht
Ranevskaya
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Anton Chekhov & Firs
Juliet Brett
Anya
Darya Denisova
Charlotta
Elise Kibler
Varya
John McGinty
Trofimov
Nael Nacer
Lopakhin
Mark Nelson
Gaev
Ilia Volok
Passerby

 

The Orchard Creative Team
Igor Golyak
Director, Conceiver, Adapter
Anna Fedorova
Scenographer
Oana Botez
Costume Designer
Yuki Nakase Link
Lighting Designer
Adam Paikowsky
Designer of Emerging Technologies
Tom Sepe
Robotics Designer
Alex Basco Koch
Projections Designer
Tei Blow
Sound Designer
Alexey Prosvirnin
Virtual Sound Designer
Jakov Jakoulov
Composer
Carol Rocamora
Translator
Leanna Keyes
Co-founder of Transcend Streaming
Seth Gore
Designer of American Sign Language (DASL)
Alexander Huh
Interactivity Designer
Jennifer Rogers
Production Stage Manager

Unreal Design Team

Athomas Goldberg
Technical Designer
Zachary Meicher-Buzzi
Digital, XR & Theatrical Producer & GM
Alex Coulombe
Technical Producer
Daniel Cormino
3D Environment Artist
Yu-Jun Yeh
Unreal Technical Artist

Producing Team

Sara Stackhouse
Executive Producer
Staci Levine
Groundswell Theatricals, Inc.
Maria Schlover
Cherry Orchard Festival
Irina Shabshis
Cherry Orchard Festival
Leah Michalos
MICHALOS MANAGEMENT LLC GM

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.

BACNYC - Baryshnikov Arts Center - NYC

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

Follow Luxury Experience on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience to see photos and videos.

Follow Luxury Experience on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/luxurypair @luxurypair

Follow Luxury Experience on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/luxurypair @luxurypair

© June 2022. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.

Related Articles