The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre brings Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" to stage at the Carver Center beginning Jan 16, offering audiences a contemporary take on the 100-year-old Russian masterpiece. Cara Lieurance speaks with the director and members of the cast.
Director Miriam Thomas, who also serves as the production's dramaturg, is working with a Paul Schmidt translation from 1997 that brings new energy to the classic text. "It feels much more contemporary, much more fresh," Thomas says.
The play centers on a once-wealthy family facing the loss of their beloved estate due to mounting debts. Nora Hauk plays the matriarch returning home after five years away, grappling with personal tragedy and the impending loss of property that defines her identity. "She doesn't know who she is without it," Hauk says of her character.
Ron Dundon portrays Fiers, the 90-year-old head butler who provides historical context as someone who remembers life before and after the emancipation of serfs in the 1860s. "Nowadays it's all mixed up. You can't tell who's who," his character observes about the social upheaval transforming Russian society.
The production features 12 actors playing 15 characters in an intimate in-the-round configuration at the Carver Center. Thomas embraces this setting by "breaking the fourth wall a little bit" and encouraging direct audience engagement. The show also features original music composed by intern Imani Hall, along with period-appropriate selections including Klezmer band music for the play's ball scene.
Thomas, who also serves as associate curator of adult programs at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, previously directed the acclaimed "Radium Girls" at the Civic. Both Hauk and Dundon praise the intergenerational ensemble cast, which includes experienced young performers alongside veteran actors.
The production runs for two weekends with six performances. Tickets start at $17 for children, $25 for seniors, and $32 for adults, available at kazoocivic.com or by calling 269-343-1313.
