If this sounds familiar, it is. I attended a production of this play in August 2015 and posted about it on this blog. I attended a production of it again in 2016 but did not post. It's an adaptation of Chekov's The Cherry Orchard set in Virginia in the post-Reconstruction period. On that level, it works pretty well.
In taking a look at my earlier blog post, I was surprised to see that one of the things I missed in this production was one of the things that I liked (but had a problem with) in 2015. All three performances I've seen have taken place in a lovely, restored building on Governors Island. In 2015, the audience moved from place to place, which I liked, but it also broke up the flow of the four acts. In 2015 and 2016, all of the staging is indoors, but not everyone gets to see all of the staging. It's a bit of a Catch-22.
Some of the performers I saw on Saturday were the same for all three iterations. For the record, the play is produced by Brooklyn's Brave New World Repertory Theatre, which uses a mix of Equity and non-Equity actors. The performers were very good, across the boards. I even saw a couple of them on my return ferry and offered my congratulations. They were surprised that I had seen all three iterations—they don't know ConcertMeister!
That said, there is a musical element—the Fisk Jubilee Singers—that seemed to have a smaller role this time around. They provide atmosphere and bridging of scenes. A banjo was added which was pleasant but not really necessary.
The 'Cherry Orchard/Virginia' link was referenced mainly by the magnolia trees, on the Plantation that was being stripped of its heritage and ownership. In the sound effects department, the chopping down of the trees toward the end of the play sounded more like the clanging of water pipes, to me.
Part of me would really like to see a straightforward production of this play. In version I, we saw the house actually being closed down. That was not visible to most of the audience in versions II and III. And it's a powerful image. And the ending—one former slave left behind—is weak if he has to walk into the scene instead of being discovered there.
There's a lot right about this production. I'd like to see even more right. For those of you interested (and if the search function works for you on the ConcertMeister site) just search on 'plantation' and you'll find my 8/17/15 post.
ConcertMeister (PlayMeister, here.)
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