TI-P Presentation Week 7 on Stanislavskis Cherry Orchard Production.

INTRODUCTION
Good morning, were going to be presenting for you today on The Cherry Orchard,
a play by Anton Chekhov, which was first performed in 1904 by the Moscow Art
Theatre under Konstantin Stanislavskis direction. And its this initial performance
that we are going to look at throughout the presentation as we try to give you a
broad understanding of the production and its relevance to the work of Stanislavksi.
BACKGROUND TO STANISKLAVSKI
To give you some background as to who Stanislavsky was. Konstantin
Stanislavski was born on 5th January 1863 in Russia, and grew to become a huge
name in theatre and theatrical interpretation. He believed in a system of
interpretation in which the actor does not simply execute choreographed actions, but
seeks to find elements of a characters personality and synthesise it with their own
this system would later continue to be known as his System, allowing actors to use
their personal histories and thoughs to express their authentic emotions. He was a
pioneer of what would end up being called naturalism.
Along with some colleagues that Stanislavski had met, the Moscow Art Theatre was
established in 1898 with Nemirovich Danchenko and Chekhov was residence writer.
Stanislavskys life charts a development of theatrical ideas that have gone on to
significantly influence the work of today. His early years at the Art Theatre saw him
directing and acting in lots of the productions, he would assemble production plans
before the cast assembled and teach it in an autocratic fashion. This is the style that
he would employ for the Cherry Orchard and also for Chekovs earlier play. From
1907, three years on from the cherry orchard, he modified the way that he
excecuted his theatre, he would create the First Studio in 1912 which would be
where the formation of his system really began, leading to his book An Actor
Prepares. The Art Theatre was of course affected by political turmoil of the time,
and in a Stalin controlled Russia, Stan was keen to appease him and so a lot of the
companys work actually reflected the political voice of the USSR and
Up until his death in 1938, he spent his years writing, directing and teaching.
Across his time working with the Moscow Art Theatre, Stanislavskys relationship to
Chekhov, the author of The Cherry Orchard was one that would end in
disagreement as the pair differed over how the play should be staged. Checkov very
much thought and had intended for the play to be a comedy, whereas Stanislavsky
interpreted the play as very much a drama. Chekov saw it in a more farcical,
vaudeville nature, total antithesis to what Stanislavsky would see it as.

The Cherry Orchard is set in May, Russia, where Madame Ranevsky returns from
her 5 years in Paris to her estate. Her daughter, Anya, stayed with her from the
Easter and was shocked to see the poverty that her mother was living in and how
despite this she would carelessly still spend her money. As the play unravels, it
shows that Madame Ranevsky is in a lot of debt, and must either pay the bills off or
sell her beloved estate along with the cherry orchard. Unable to curb her spending,
the play ultimately ends with the selling of the estate, leaving the audience to listen
to the axing of the cherry orchard.