At Unadilla Theater, July 21-23, July 28-30 @ 7:30 pm, July 31 matinee @ 1:30 pm. Unadilla.org. Directed by Jeanne Beckwith: "Given the tragic events unfolding in Europe right now, there was some question as to whether or not we should be putting on a play by a Russian author. But I had to ask: was Chekhov all that "Russian"? Well, of course, he was; however, the fact is that as of this moment, the Russians are bombing near the Chekhov Museum in Northeastern Ukraine. Fighting threatens to destroy his beloved Ukrainian summer home, considered by many to be the model for both Sorin's estate and the family home in The Cherry Orchard. Chekhov's grandfather was Ukrainian, and the author himself was proud of the Ukrainian blood in his veins. Many of the major place names in the play are in Ukraine. Kostia calls himself "a petit‐bourgeois from Kiev." Given all this, I have no problem producing Chekhov in a war‐ravaged world. His work is about the de‐ struction that human beings bring upon themselves and the people they love. His dialogue soars with the impossibility and dysfunction that is inherent in trying to muddle through a world that is only human‐‐the tragedy of wanting to be more than we are. And he makes us laugh while he does it. As a director and a playwright, I revere this man and what he brought to the stage. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with a cast who loves this brilliant, sad man and wants to spend these summer evenings sharing that love with you."

Dec 20, 2024, 4:30 to 5:30 PM

Dec 20, 2024, 8 to 9 PM

Dec 22, 2024, 4 to 5:30 PM