Huppert stars in a fresh take on 'The Cherry Orchard'

Isabelle Huppert, a celebrated French actress, will lead the cast of the French play "La Cerisaie" (The Cherry Orchard) when it premieres in the city at Shanghai Culture Square on April 11-13.

This production, which opened the 75th Avignon Theater Festival in 2021, combines Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's characteristic tragicomedy with modern theatrical energy.

The play is presented by Portuguese director Tiago Rodrigues, the artistic director of the Avignon Theater Festival, on a strikingly minimalist set, with the plot serving as a magnifying glass over our world in all of its diversity.

Huppert plays Lyuba Ranevsky, an elusive woman who comes home as her family estate is going to be sold to pay off debts. She is concerned about the uncertain future of her property during a period when Western society was weaning toward capitalism.

"This is a work that can be performed again and again, and it can resonate with the present era even a hundred years later," Huppert said.

Many audiences consider "The Cherry Orchard" to be a tragedy, although Huppert said that she wanted to depict Lyuba's light and cheerful moments.

"This is not to make the character superficial, but to capture the process of Lyuba's emotional changes and explore the depth of the character," she said.

The play can continue to link with the new era since Chekhov's Cherry Orchard can be read as an imaginative metaphor for property, a place of origin, or a more abstract existence.

The characters in The Cherry Orchard represent a wide range of emotions and recollections for various audiences.

In this version of "The Cherry Orchard," three horizontal rails run through the stage, each with cherry-tree-like lights. The silver steel frame glides freely on the rails as if to demonstrate that the story is only a stop on the journey of time.

The major props are chairs, which are neatly arranged before being piled up in a mess to signify the end of the Cherry Orchard as the trees are cut down.

"This version is created with a non-realistic approach, which aroused my interest," Huppert said. "Each character does not have a clear ending, and the complexity of human nature is brilliantly portrayed."

Huppert last visited the city in 2017 for a script-reading activity. She admires Chinese film directors such as Jia Zhangke, Lou Ye, and Bi Gan. Huppert also praised young director Shao Yihui's feminist film "Her Story."

"I hope to have more opportunities to collaborate with Chinese filmmakers in the future," she said.

Performance info

Dates: April 11-13, 2pm/7:30pm

Tickets: 280-880 yuan

Venue: Shanghai Culture Square 上海文化广场

Address: 597 Fuxing Rd M. 复兴中路597号