REVIEW: ‘Cherry Orchard’ finds a family fearing the future

Anton Chekov’s beautiful and moving play The Cherry Orchard is being given a decent, albeit underwhelming, revival at Roundabout Theatre Company’s American Airlines Theatre in Midtown Manhattan. Starring Diane Lane as the matriarch, Ranevskaya, and John Glover as her brother, Gaev, the dramedy has moments of real energy and pathos; however, the acting is not unanimously effective, and the line readings of Stephen Karam’s translation don’t capture the dramatic oomph of Chekhov’s original.

Ranevskaya has returned to her childhood estate with a smile on her face but an uncertain future looming. She no longer has money to pay the bills, and her numerous loans over the years are starting to catch up to her. It’s tough to see much worry on her face, or the face of Gaev, because they live in a theatrical world of dinner parties, extravagant spending, high emotions and false reality. They pad their lives with enough distractions so the cherry orchard’s finances don’t have room to gain their attention.

Harold Perrineau plays Lopakhin, a family friend who has his eye on buying the cherry orchard. His advice to the family should be taken with a grain of salt: He seems, on the surface, to want the best for Ranevskaya and company. However, he has behind-the-scenes financial dealings that are unaware to the cast and audience.

Chuck Cooper provides some comic relief as Pischik, a man who is constantly around and constantly asking for loans. Joel Grey, the legendary emcee from Cabaret, is Firs, the aging servant whose very livelihood is threatened by the pending sale of the estate.

There’s also a host of younger servants and visitors who fall in and out of love, like the characters in many of Chekhov’s classic plays. They provide the dramedy with some nice romance and a commentary on the future beyond the main characters’ lives.

The set by Scott Pask is minimal. The stage is made up of a large tree stump, obviously a metaphor for the cherry orchard. A window offers a view on the land outside, and the children’s furniture in the foreground give Ranevskaya and Gaev a means to talk about the past and their upbringing.

Simon Godwin’s direction is swift and joy-filled, which works well when the family throws a costume ball; however, it’s tough to switch from that comedy to the inherent drama of someone losing their home and their memories to the changing dynamics of the new world. The speed by which the evening proceeds keeps the young romantics in constant, energetic couplings, but there’s no chance to hit the pause button and savor what is being lost.

Lane fares well, although the role sometimes feels underwritten. That’s not her fault but more of a byproduct of the production’s weaknesses. There is no central character that the audience can truly follow and empathize with, and Ranevskaya fails to capture the audience’s attention for two hours and 15 minutes.

Perrineau becomes the magnet of attention, and his sly turn as Lopakhin takes hold of the proceedings. That’s probably not the best development for a Cherry Orchard production, but it does leave the audience with someone to think about while all the merrymaking is served up in the periphery.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

The Cherry Orchard was written by Anton Chekhov and is playing the American Airlines Theatre in a new translation by Stephen Karam. The Roundabout Theatre Production is directed by Simon Godwin and stars Diane Lane, Harold Perrineau, Joel Grey, Chuck Cooper and John Glover. It plays through Dec. 4. Rating: Click here for more information.