Baryshnikov Shines In Futuristic Production Of ‘The Orchard’

The ambitious production of The Orchard, Igor Golyak’s adaptation of Chekhov’s classic, The Cherry Orchard, which opened last week off-Broadway at Manhattan’s Baryshnikov Theatre, begins with the stooped figure of the serf Firs (Mikhail Baryshnikov) skittering about the stage. Firs is in service to a family about to lose their orchard estate to a foreclosure auction. Robots, video projections onto a skrim and a giant robot arm feature prominently in this futuristic, hybrid production, which is meant to either to be seen live in person or via zoom, and ranges freely between English, Russian, French and American Sign Language. While the point of all this technology is often unclear, it does served to re-animate what can be daunting source material for a modern audience. The crash of these cherry trees will resonate long after the actors take their bows.

Get tickets for The Orchard off-Broadway now.