The Cherry Orchard: Encyclopedia II - The Cherry Orchard - Synopsis

The Cherry Orchard - Synopsis

The Cherry Orchard - Act I

Act I opens in the early morning hours of a day in May in the nursery of Madame Ranevskaya's ancestral estate somewhere in the provinces of Russia just after the turn of the 20th Century. Lyubov Andreyevna Ranevskaya (Любовь Андреевна Раневская) returns to her country house with her 17-year old daughter Anya (Аня) and her German governess Charlotta Ivanova (Шарлотта Ивановна) from Paris where they have been living for the past five years. The trio is met by Varya (Варя), Mme. Ranevskaya's adopted daughter who has overseen the estate in her absence; Yermolai Alexeevich Lophakin (Лопахин Ермолай Алексеевич), a local merchant and family friend; Leonid Andreevich Gaev (Гаев Леонид Андреевич), Mme. Ranevskaya's brother; as well as members of the household staff including the old footman, Firs (Фирс).

Mme. Ranevskaya is reminded that the estate will be auctioned in August to pay the mortgage. Lophakin offers to lend Mme. Ranevskaya the money to cover the debt if she will allow part of the estate to be developed into summer cottages. However, this will incur the destruction of the famous cherry orchard which Mme. Ranevskaya states is nationally known. Other solutions to the debt are also proposed but nothing is resolved and the coversation is diverted to other topics.

The Cherry Orchard - Act II

Act II opens on a road bordering the cherry orchard in mid-summer. The estate is still in jeopardy but the family seems more concerned with courtships. A footman, Yasha (Яша), and the estate clerk Yepikhodov (Епиходов Семен Пантелеевич) are attempting to attract the attentions of the chambermaid Dunyasha (Дуняша). Varya tries to prevent a union between her sister Anya and Petya Trofimov (Трофимов Петр Сергеевич) who is a perpetual student and formerly the tutor to Mme. Ranevskaya's son Grisha (who drowned at age six). Varya is also the subject of rumours that she will be engaged to Lophakin. Lophakin tries to steer the conversation towards the business of the estate but Mme. Ranevskaya reveals that she is broke after spending her money on a lover in Paris. The old footman Firs speaks of the past on the estate before the emancipation of the serfs.

The Cherry Orchard - Act III

The Cherry Orchard - Act IV

They stay there for almost a year. Ranevskaya, Varya, and Anya live there with Ranyevskaya's brother, Gaev, a maid, and Dunyasha, while several others stay and visit throughout the play.

Ranevskaya's main problem is the lack of money that is very troublesome for her. Throughout the play there are various solutions suggested to her, but she doesn't do anything. The orchard is consequently sold in an auction to Yermolay Alekseyevich Lopakhin, a man whose ancestors were serfs on the property. In the end, the orchard is chopped down by Lopakhin.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Synopsis", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki