UF School of Theatre and Dance presents “The Cherry Orchard” comedy

September 26, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Florida — The School of Theatre and Dance at the University of Florida College of Fine Arts presents Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard,” a contemporary version of the early 20th century classic. Mikell Pinkney directs the production running Sep. 28 – Oct. 7 in the Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion’s Constans Theatre on the UF campus.

Set in northern Russia, “Cherry Orchard” is a play about the lives of a group of Russians in the wake of the liberation of the serfs. Despite the historical setting, the work’s subject and the characters are, in a sense, timeless.

“It’s a major modern classic for a major modern university,” said Pinkney, an associate professor in the School of Theatre and Dance.

The circumstances and themes of this play that focuses on Czarist Russia mirror the American south at the turn of the 20th century, Pinkey said. The U. S. witnessed race riots and lynching while the Russian revolution occurred as an outcome and result of freedom for serfs and slaves.

In Pinkney’s version of Chekhov’s play, an attempt to merge the old with the new is undertaken through period costumes, set against very contemporary music and scenery.

“We’re shedding light on an ‘old idea’ but lots of parallels can be drawn to the present-day,” Pinkney said.

The cast of 20 actors from the master of fine arts in acting and bachelor of fine arts in acting program includes four actors, Robyn Berg, Denis McCourt, Michael Toth and Elizabeth Arnold. This production will be their thesis role. The play’s lighting designer, Charles Perry, is also making this production his thesis project.