120 years ago, "The Cherry Orchard" premiered in Moscow directed by Stanislavsky. Now, 120 years later, has the events described in "The Cherry Orchard" passed by time? On April 17, the 120th anniversary collector's edition of the stage play "The Cherry Orchard", directed by Rimas Tuminas, starring Jin Xing, and performed by the Mars Theater Society, was officially opened. The play will be staged from August 16 to 18 at Shanghai Culture Square.
The debt-ridden aristocratic manor Lyubauf and her family have to face the brutal fact that their beloved cherry orchard has been auctioned off to pay off their debts, and the rich young merchant Robasin, who was originally a serf in the cherry orchard, has now bought the cherry orchard and become the new owner of the cherry orchard, and the cherry trees have been cut down one by one......
As Chekhov's last work, "The Cherry Orchard" can be said to be the culmination of Chekhov's theatrical artistic attainments. Whether it is the skillful invocation and sublimation of realistic brushstrokes, or the mastery of lyrical poetry, or the restrained and cold comedy hidden in it, this play has reached a state of perfection.
The Mars Drama Club was founded in 2021 by dancer and actor Jin Xing, and its previous stage play "Sunrise" received rave reviews upon its launch. The creation of "The Cherry Orchard" not only continues the consistent physical creative strength of the Mars Drama Club led by Venus, but also has the blessing of world-class director artist Tuminas, which is bound to present a new visual and spiritual experience to Shanghai audiences.
In Tuminas's view, the cruelty of The Cherry Orchard is self-evident. "In Chekhov's other works, there are people who die, Ivanov, Tursenbach...... But this time there were no deaths, and instead they were snatched from their homes. This is the most terrible punishment, robbing you of your homeland and stifling all beauty. In order to interpret the comedy of Chekhov's plays in such a situation, Tuminas, who has rehearsed Chekhov's works all his life, said: "What is comedy? Tomorrow is the end of the world, and today we will sing and dance." ”
Adomas Jakovsky, who has worked with director Tuminas for 30 years and co-created "The Cherry Orchard" three times, is well aware of Tuminas's persistent pursuit of Chekhov's poetry. In this edition of The Cherry Orchard, through the rendering of the atmosphere of the home and the train station, and the stacking of worn chairs and suitcases, Adomas strives to present an abstract, light, and poetic stage space.
The search for the truth runs through the entire rehearsal of this version of "The Cherry Orchard". Director Tuminas has always led the actors of the Mars Theater Club to find the truth behind the appearance, trying to present the audience with a drama that leads to the truth after repeated tempering.
Tuminas firmly believes that the writer's words are not the whole story, and that beneath the iceberg lies an even greater treasure. He would drill down like a mine, leading the actors to find the ore deeper and polishing it in rehearsals and rehearsals. This edition of "The Cherry Orchard" excavates a treasure mine in the vast world of Chekhov's texts, focusing on the characters and their lives in the play, discovering and establishing deeper character relationships and subtle plots, excavating the undercurrents surging under the great texts, and then presenting them to the audience in a form full of poetic beauty.
Under the leadership of Tuminas, the actors of the Mars Theater Club have also embarked on a completely fresh creative path. Tuminas told the actor: "Try to catch life and come out like a child. "In Tuminas' master class, the young actors of the Mars Theatre Club learned the secret of how to combine their personal traits with classic characters. As Jin Xing, who plays Lyubauf, said: "Tuminas needs the actor to constantly explore the characters in depth and support the lines with a full heart. Venus confessed that Tuminas was the first to put her on stage.