The Cherry Orchard

Act One

It's early May in Russia at the turn of the 20th century. In the nursery of her ancestral estate, Lyubov Ranevskaya returns home after years in France, where she fled to escape the grief of her young son’s death. Her daughter Anya and Anya’s governess, Charlotta, have brought her back, hoping the return will help her heal. Alongside them is Yasha, Ranevskaya’s stylish yet insolent valet.

Awaiting them are old friends and servants: Lopakhin, a wealthy merchant whose father was once a serf on the estate; Varya, Ranevskaya’s adopted daughter who has been managing things in her absence; her eccentric brother Gayev; and a variety of characters who paint a picture of a fading aristocratic world.

Lopakhin warns Ranevskaya and Gayev that the estate is deep in debt and will soon be auctioned. He proposes a plan to develop the land into summer cottages for profit—though this would mean destroying the beloved cherry orchard, a symbol of the family's past. Ranevskaya dismisses the idea,