The Cherry Orchard extends 1 week to 8 Jan 2012

The Classic Stage Company's production of Anton Chekov's The Cherry Orchard, directed by Andrei Belgrader, with a translation by John Christopher Jones, as extended its run at CSC for a second time and will now run through to 8 Jan 2012.

The play opened at the Classic Stage Company on 4 Dec 2011, following previews from 16 Nov 2011, and was originally scheduled to close on 23 Dec 2011.

The show opened to mixed reviews: Dismal! (newyorktheatreguide); Heartbreakingly funny (NY Times); Well worth visiting (NY Post); Coarse and dull (Record); So-so revival (Newseroom Jersey).

An aristocratic Russian woman and her family return to the family's estate (which includes a large and well-known The Cherry Orchard). Despite receiving warnings that the estate is about to be auctioned to pay debts, the family behaves as if their future is secure.

The cast features John Turturro (Lopakhin), Dianne Wiest (Ranevskaya), Josh Hamilton (Trofimov), Ken Cheeseman (Pischick), Daniel Davis (Gaev), Alvin Epstein (Fiers), Slate Holmgren (Yasha), Roberta Maxwell (Charlotta), Juliet Rylance (Varya), Michael Urie (Yepikhodov), Elisabeth Waterston (Dunyasha) and Katherine Waterston (Anya).

The creative team for The Cherry Orchard will include scenic design by Santo Loquasto, costume design by Marco Piemontese, lighting design by James F. Ingalls, hair design by Paul Huntley and original music by Christian Frederickson and Ryan Rumery.

First presented in 1904 at the Moscow Art Theatre, The Cherry Orchard was Chekhov's final play, and with this new production CSC completes its Chekhov Cycle, which has included 'The Seagull' (with Wiest and Alan Cumming), 'Uncle Vanya' (with Denis O'Hare, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard) and 'Three Sisters' (with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jessica Hecht, Juliet Rylance and Peter Sarsgaard). The latter two productions were directed by Austin Pendleton.