The Orchard NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsShow-Score Member Reviews (37)
See it if An innovative take on the classic, true to the spirit in which it was created. Seamless mix of latest theatre gadgetry and great actors
Don't see it if might be jarring to Chekhov purists
See it if you want to see a unique take on an otherwise snooze-worthy piece. The set and projections elevate the story greatly.
Don't see it if you are expecting to see the master dancing, or are not a fan of reimagined classics.
See it if unique use of technology combines images & actors; bold futuristic vision; Baryshnikov memorably plays old servant as Chaplinesque figure
Don't see it if you are a Chekhovian purist, you may find that the stagecraft is self-indulgent & detracts from the play (NY Times review) Read more
See it if you are interested in an ambitious, very new way of story telling. Very cool use of video and an excellent cast!
Don't see it if you are looking for a strict staging of Chekhov.
See it if you like old plays performed well, or you’re a fan of Mikhail Baryshnikov and/or Jessica Hecht.
Don't see it if you don’t like dated plays.
See it if you like a very creative and unique take on The Cherry Orchard. Really unusual staging, including robots and videos. Good acting.
Don't see it if you like traditional versions of Chekhov. Read more
See it if See it if u like creativity. Very different. Good acting.
Don't see it if If u don't like updated version of a classic do not see this production.
See it if you are up for an innovative, technologically daring and unique staging of the classic done with humor and wit
Don't see it if must see a conventional play. The technology is dazzling but may distract some from the play. Read more
Critic Reviews (15)
"This disjointed production gives the impression of not being especially interested in comprehensibility. For all its projections (designed by Alex Basco Koch), significant passages of dialogue in American Sign Language, Russian and French go untranslated."
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"The show is best when it’s simplest: Using ASL, Hecht and McGinty have the most profound exchange in the play (signing and speaking helps her transcend some otherwise mannered tendencies), and Golyak shapes some striking grace notes around Trofimov’s chosen interpreter, the unlucky-in-love Varya (Elise Kibler)."
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"The entire cast illuminates the humanity of their characters in the interstices between our—or at least my—befuddlement at the wait-what-why? elements of the production. Their commitment is admirable, but perhaps the familiar stage adage needs an update: Never work with animals, children, or robots."
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"If the high-tech form of The Orchard doesn't necessarily spring from the content, it at least gives us new ways to look at an old tale."
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"Overall, the pacing of the show was a bit uneven-it felt slow for the first hour or so, but eventually picked up. The added multimedia elements were unique and brought exciting dynamics to the show, but at times, felt overwhelming. Regardless, you should not miss the chance to see this one-of-a-kind show."
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Is this high-concept approach too clever by half? Possibly, yet at several major points Golyak and his actors get at the play's deep sadness, its sense of lives frittered away in idleness and vain pursuits. If it is one of the odder takes on this material you are likely to see, it is no less affecting.
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"There is just no dismissing the myriad special effects, which, while mesmerizing, allow the cast’s performances to glow in their own deserved right. Hecht’s Ranevskaya is a surprising and alternative interpretation. Usually, the romanticizing, squandering character is portrayed as a disillusioned grand lady. Hecht’s Ranevskaya is a childish woman. She’s someone who’s chosen not to grow up. "
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Such an event is the high-tech adaptation at the Baryshnikov Arts Center calling itself "The Orchard," conceived and directed by Igor Golyak, and described as based on "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov as translated by Carol Rocamora. If you don’t know the play, you will be entirely at sea. If you know the play, you will marvel at all the totally unnecessary tricks used by the director that do nothing to help with understanding the play or ferreting out its meaning. Although the production has a fine cast headed by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jessica Hecht, the actors are swamped by all the trappings around them.
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