Review: Trinity Rep's Cherry Orchard

Last evening, Curt Columbus had his debut with Trinity Repertory Company. Trinity audiences, finally, got to see what Columbus can do; as a director, as a translator, and as the person who provides the artistic vision for the company. From the experience of this production alone, there seems little doubt that Columbus is uniquely talented and has the skill and vision to make tickets to Trinity productions "must have" tickets.

"Theater that is more accessible and more welcoming" has been the notion that you keep hearing from Columbus. With continuing corporate sponsors for "Pay What You Can" night and $20 tickets available to each show, he is on the right track.

The "welcome" is evident from the moment you walk in the door of the theater. In the main lobby, a round mosaic of an E and M has been uncovered. The design hails back to the original name of the theater, which was the Emery Majestic. The tile art has been restored and the wall-to wall carpet, that covered it over, for as long as I can remember, has been replaced and cut around it. Also on view, for the first time in my memory, was the mosaic on the floor that rings the upstairs balcony.

The new paint on the walls was matched to the original lobby colors. The stained-glass dome which crowns the lobby, is restored to its original, gracious splendor. The changes to the building were not in the "extreme makeover" genre, they were more in the "we have important guests coming, let's put our best foot forward" genre. Subtle, but noticeable and appreciated.

Columbus' debut production was Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov, translated by Columbus. It is a bold move, opening with Chekhov; whose work can be intimidating for a 21st century audience. It is also pretty daring for Columbus to open his career at Trinity with a work that he, himself, had translated.

After years of seeing a stable, talented core company of actors, Trinity audiences expect excellence, and they usually get it. For this production, the expectation was even higher. How would this group of actors respond to their new artistic director? How would Columbus use this company?

To refresh my memory and prepare myself for last evening's performance, I recently re-read Cherry Orchard. I, purposely, read the 1916 (I think) translation, so I could compare it with Columbus' more recent translation from the original Russian.

With deference to the original playwright, and due respect to the actors on stage last night, the star of last evening was Columbus' translation. Cherry Orchard, as conceived by Columbus, moves quickly and has a wealth of humor. It is approachable and accessible, without being "dumbed down". Columbus' translation makes Chekhov, quotable. It plays the tragedy for what it is; not a capital "T" tragedy, but a tragedy of indecision, immovability and human frailty. It has glimpses of Aesop's fable, The Grasshopper and the Ant.  I think that Margaret Mitchell must have read Cherry Orchard, because Gone with the Wind shares many major themes.

The play opens in the playroom/nursery of a country house in rural Russia. Eugene Lee's set is simple, but not stark, with an airy openness of an estate built without the restraint of space.

The mistress of the house and main character is "Lovey".  In the original translation, the character's name is "Mme. Lubov Andreyevna Ravensky". You can see, immediately, why this translation is more accessible. "Lovey" is returning from Paris, after being gone for five years, to escape memory of the drowning death of her young son. She is returning to visit her ancestral home before it is auctioned off to pay the mortgage.

As the play begins, there is much commotion off stage-right. The lighting is such, that, though the activity is off-stage, the shadows created by the activity are center-stage. It is a clever and effective use of Trinity's space, nicely done.

The play has a cast of fourteen characters; all are essential to the story line. Nearly every member of Trinity's company appear in this production. Each of the roles seems well-cast, which given sheer numbers and possibilities, surprises me.

As a fast-paced production with so many characters, the members of the cast have a short amount of time to convey a tremendous amount of spoken and unspoken information about their character. Each member of the ensemble, both members of the Company and members of the Brown/Trinity Consortium give strong performances.

As "Lovey", the matriarch of this extended family, Phyllis Kay is the center of the Cherry Orchard universe. The role requires Ms. Kay to portray a woman whose real emotions and thoughts are mostly below the surface, but escape her rigid control without warning. Ms. Kay plays, at times, an emotion ahead or behind the words on the page. This technique is effective in helping the audience understand that this character is not always as sure of herself, or as clever and coy, as she would like everyone around her to think she is.

Joe Wilson Jr. presents a well-rounded "Yermolai", a character that could, too easily, be played as an archetypal villain. Wilson gives a performance of "Yermolai" that, at its manic peak, assaults the audience with the ecstasy, uneasiness and ultimately, the agony, of achieving nearly every one of his boyhood dreams.

A stand-out piece of casting was the decision to cast Barbara Meek as "Firs" (sounds like: fierce). In the original translation, "Fiers" was a footman. In this version "Firs" is a family servant, who was formerly a slave. In her portrayal of "Firs", Ms. Meeks is astonishing. As the final scene begins, the audience is clearly, audibly, affected by, not only the turn of events, but also by Ms. Meek's portrayal of "Firs".

If you have never seen Cherry Orchard and are afraid that you won't "get it" or that it will be too depressing or tedious, you should see this production. You will "get it", it is not terribly depressing and it is the antithesis of tedious.

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