The Cherry Orchard

The final play written by the famous Russian author, first published in 1904. It portrays the decline of the charming and doomed Ranevskaya

family, and opens with Madame Ranevskaya returning debt-ridden to Russia after a five-year exile in Paris following the death of her son. The unscrupulous merchant Lopakhin convinces her that she can only raise the money she needs by selling the famous cherry orchard that surrounds the estate to developers. As the unhappy Ranevskayas leave the estate at the end, the sound of saws can be heard in the orchard outside.