Greenbrier Valley Theatre (GVT) will present the timeless theatre classic, Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, Oct. 10 and 11 and 16-18 at 7:30 p.m., as well as a Pay-What-You-Can Preview performance on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $26 for general admission, $23 for seniors and $20 for children/students. For tickets or more information, call the GVT Box Office at 304-645-3838 or visit www.gvtheatre.org. The Cherry Orchard explores what happens when a wealthy landowner must sell her estate to pay off her family’s debts. This rich tale explores the futility of wealth and the decline of the upper class in pre-revolutionary Russia. “His characters are caught between the ludicrous and the desperate - but they are not caught in earth-shattering moments; they are shown simply living their daily lives, which are in reality the most defining events of our lives,” said Cathey Sawyer, producing artistic director. Considered the father of the modern short story and the modern play, Chekhov infuses dramatic situations with humor, offering greater insight into the tensions between the exhaustion and the hilarity of everyday life. The focus on day-to-day experiences allows the work to maintain its relevance, even today. This production also offers students the opportunity to engage with the timeless themes of a classic play, both through classroom activities and by interacting with the actors and creative team in a talkback following a performance. GVT invited schools from across WV and western VA to participate in the program. “The productions have always been beneficial to our students because it gives them an opportunity to see live theater at its best,” Joy Boothe, an English teacher at Pocahontas County High School. She fully incorporated other writings of Chekhov into her curriculum for the advance placement students, as well as the senior English class. Boothe has participated in the program for more than a decade. For tickets or more information, call the GVT Box Office at 304-645-3838 or visit www.gvtheatre.org.
