A RADICAL MASTERPIECE

Chekhov’s final play blossoms
with emotional clarity and grace

Renowned Russian writer Anton Chekhov’s final play, The Cherry Orchard, may be set more than a century ago, but its themes feel strikingly contemporary. Now playing at Marin Theatre in a handsomely mounted, emotionally attentive production, the story centers on a once-aristocratic, formerly well-to-do family on the verge of losing its estate to foreclosure. The family home — and its beloved cherry orchard — are to be auctioned off after years of financial neglect. Denial, pride, and resistance to change dominate their response to the crisis, making them reluctant to accept assistance or ideas on how to move forward. Although Chekhov famously considered the play a comedy, it now appears as a tragedy laced with humor and irony.

The CastTrofímov (Joseph O'Malley), Liubóv Andréyevna Ranyévskaya (Liz Sklar),
Firs (Howard Swain), and Píshchik (Danny Scheie)
watch Carlotta's (Leontyne Mbele-Mbong) ventriloquy

The large ensemble can initially feel daunting to track, though Chekhov’s deliberate layering soon brings clarity. The immediate family includes Madame Liubóv Andréyevna Ranyévskaya (Liz Sklar), returning home from Paris in a last attempt to save the estate. She arrives with her young daughter Ánya (Anna Takayo) and Anya’s governess Carlotta (Leontyne Mbele-Mbong). Awaiting them are Liubóv’s brother Leoníd Gáyev (Anthony Fusco), her adopted daughter Várya (Rosie Hallett), the young maid Dunyásha (Molly Ranson), former tutor Pétya Trofímov (Joseph Patrick O’Malley), and the longtime servant and caretaker of the estate (Howard Swain).

Liubóv (Liz Sklar), Lopákhin (Lance Gardner), Firs (Howard Swain), Gáyev (Anthony Fusco)The Cast (choreography by Val Caniparoli)

Their neighbor is Lopákhin (Lance Gardner), a wealthy businessman and son of a former serf (essentially a slave) who worked on Liubov’s estate. Local village characters round out the ensemble: an eccentric neighbor Borís Semyónov-Píshchik (Danny Scheie), accountant Semyón Yepikhódov (Jomar Tagatac) and the handsome young valet Yásha (Joel Morel).

Gáyev (Anthony Fusco) comforts Várya (Rosie Hallett) and Ánya (Anna Takayo)Sisters Ánya (Anna Takayo) and Várya (Rosie Hallett)Várya (Rosie Hallett), Firs (Howard Swain), Liubóv (Liz Sklar) and Ánya (Anna Takayo)

For those encountering the play for the first time, the experience can feel like a period soap opera about a once-powerful family clinging to memory as the world shifts beneath them. Chekhov’s genius lies in writing complex characters without clear heroes or villains. Everyone has a point of view, and that moral ambiguity draws the audience into the story rather than encouraging allegiance to any one character.

Firs (Howard Swain)Yepikhódov (Jomar Tagatac), Carlotta (Leontyne Mbele-Mbong),
Dunyásha (Molly Ranson), and Yásha (Joel Morel)

Nina Ball’s scenic design — centered on the estate’s former and now dilapidated nursery — is a sight to behold; richly detailed and evocative, complete with a grand staircase, large windows opening onto the cherry orchard, and furnishings filled with dolls, teddy bears, and other childhood relics. As such, the surroundings becomes a visual embodiment of memory and loss.

Dunyásha (Molly Ranson) and Yásha (Joel Morel)

Former retired A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff brings decades of experience to this classic show, not just with psychologically astute stage pictures, but by assembling some of the Bay Area’s finest actors. Some of the thespians of course have more heavy lifting to do in their complex roles, but the performances are fantastic all around.

DavidAllen8 Trofímov (Joseph O'Malley) listens to Píshchik (Danny Scheie)Lopákhin (Lance Gardner) and Várya (Rosie Hallett)

Liz Sklar delivers one of the production’s most compelling turns as the family matriarch, embodying a woman who is elegant, generous, and deeply avoidant of reality. Fragile and haunted, Ms. Sklar commands attention whenever she enters the room. Marin Theatre’s Artistic Director Lance Gardner’s performance is equally pivotal, portraying a man whose rise from peasantry places the fate of the estate squarely in his hands. Howard Swain provides gentle comic relief as the aging servant, and his abandonment at the play’s conclusion becomes one of the production’s most potent images.

Yásha (Joel Morel) and Firs (Howard Swain)

Written in 1903, The Cherry Orchard grapples with themes of class upheaval, tradition versus progress, and the inevitability of change. These ideas have echoed through countless later works in which once noble and wealthy families are forced to adapt to a changing world, from Gone with the Wind to Brideshead Revisited and Downton Abbey. We are also reminded why Chekhov is considered one of the creators of modern drama: All these stories are character driven with people trying to do the right thing while struggling with a changing world. Most futilely hang on to the past and not everyone survives. Change is inevitable with peoples lives in flux and no one can predict a final outcome.

It all makes for great drama.

Lopákhin (Lance Gardner), Yepikhódov (Jomar Tagatac), Várya (Rosie Hallett)

Chekhov’s final play remains a deeply human character study — humorous, painful, and unsparing. This excellent revival of The Cherry Orchard — accessibly translated by Paul Schmidt — is an intense character study laced with comical moments. With both wit and weight, Carey Perloff hits this one out of the park. It’s beautifully acted, visually striking, and emotionally resonant — definitely worth the drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. Don’t miss it!

Ánya (Anna Takayo) and Trofímov (Joseph O'Malley)

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photos by David Allen

The Cherry Orchard
Marin Theatre
397 Miller Avenue in Mill Valley
ends on February 22, 2026
for tickets ($38–$89), call 415.388.5208 or visit Marin Theatre

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Ánya (Anna Takayo) is beckoned by Várya (Rosie Hallett)