The Cherry Orchard castings.

I was cast as Ranyevskaya in two different groups for two different scenes. 

Group 2
Anya - Sophie
Ranyevskaya – Willa*
Varya – Imogen
Gayev – Michael*
Dunyasha - Maria   

Group 3
Ranyerskaya – Willa
Firs – Beau
Gayev – Michael
Lopakhin – Brett    

I started off but working with group 2, we read through the entire scene and began discussing what's happening and what our character's main objects are within it. 

• In the first scene, the characters are exploring the estate after returning, Ranyevskaya is especially taken by seeing the nursery and the memories attached to it. She seems over come with different emotions, greeting everyone she hasn't seen in a while; 'And Dunyasha I recognize.' 
• Ranyevskaya and Gayev then leave and the scene carries on with Dunyasha telling Anya that Trofimov has arrived and is staying in the bathhouse. "The day before yesterday Mr Trofimov arrived." 
• Anya and Varya then greet each other quite tearfully and Anya begins to explain the conditions in which she found their mother in in Paris. 
• Our scene ends with Anya and Varya discussing the fact they have to sell the estate off. "In August they're going to sell the estate off." 

I have many different opportunities in this first scene to explore the relationship between Ranyevskaya and other characters. She greets the other characters quite emotionally, "And Varya's just the same as before." I feel her character is overw    helmed from coming home and seeing everyone again, she's been running from her past for so long and now she's back to where she spent  It also begins to explore the idea of Ranyevskaya's emotional attachment to the estate. As soon as she steps into the nursery she instantly connects it to sleeping in it when she was a little girl - this gives the sense that Ranyevskaya focuses a lot on the past and has a large sense of nostalgia surrounding her character. 

I then worked on the other scene with my other group. We then read through the entire scene and began to discuss the main plot pointers and objectives. 

• The scene opens with Ranyevskaya settling into being back at the estate and thinking about the memories and emotions attached to it ""..my own dear bookcase.."
• Lopakhin begins to propose that they cut down the orchard and build holiday cottages on the land to avoid selling the estate. Ranyevskaya shows imitate dislike and negativity towards this plan. "Cut it down?..." 
• Lopakhin explains to both of them that if they don't come up with a situation fast, then both the orchard and the estate will be sold. "...if we don't think of something..."
• Our scene ends with Firs and Ranyevskaya discussing what they used to do to make profit out of the cherries grown on the tree. "..they'd send off dried cherries.."

This scene begins to explore Ranyevskaya's emotional attachment to the orchard and how that may influence her reluctance to give it up. She immediately rebuffs Lopahkin's ideas about selling and cutting down the orchard as she claims that it is the only thing of interest - "If there is one thing of interest...". So, although selling the land is the smartest option - Ranyevskaya see's it as too important to even give up. This gives me an opportunity to think about her characterisation and how she places a large amount of sentimental value onto the orchard as well as how i would incorporate that into my portrayal of her.

This scene also explores her relationship with Firs and Lopahkin. She seems extremely fond of Firs and says she's "very glad to find you still alive.", this gives the idea that she knew him quite well in the past and associates Fir's with the estate. I think they have quite a positive relationship and they both respect each other that although Fir's is just the butler, Ranyevskaya respects the fact he's worked here the entire time and knowledge he possesses. On the other hand, Ranyevskaya's relationship with Lopahkin comes off extremely uncomfortably and negatively as she almost seems disgusted by his suggestion - this suggests that they don't have a very close relationship as you would generally respect someone you like's view rather than rebuff it so bluntly. This gives the sense that Lopahkin is quite oblivious to other's around him and can't sense the beauty in the orchard - perhaps his need to prove himself against his family's history as serfs fuels his want to sell and make business.