Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, while not my favorite Chekhov play, is still one of my favorites. Perhaps moreso than in his other plays, Chekhov works in The Cherry Orchard to create both a satirical snapshot of aristocratic life, and a drama of social mobility and class distinctions in turmoil.  More exciting than Three Sisters and less explosive with eccentric characters than Uncle Vanya, I find Cherry Orchard strikes a great balance and achieves its goal as a commentary on high society in crisis.

What I found interesting rereading the play were the gender roles. When asked why she cut out the male characters in El Nogalar, a modern-day retelling of sorts of The Cherry Orchard, Tanya Saracho argued that she felt the male characters didn't do much for the family's situation, adding that it was really the women who made a push towards progress.  In light of her views, I paid closer attention to each family member's role in the securing of the orchard.  I found that, with the exception of Lopahkin, Chekhov wrote most of the male characters to be comic symbols of the aristocracy's inaction.  Gayev represents the aristocracy's love of leisure; Trofimov espouses political ideals, but refuses to act when necessary; and Simeonov-Pishchik is always asking Ranevskaya for money.  It really is the women who attempt to save themselves, with Anya being the main push to save both her mother and the estate.