The Brooklyn Papers / Brad Horrigan

Pause for effect: Patrick Douglas, Tricia Napor and Daniel Stowell in a scene from "The Cherry Orchard," directed by Michael Raimondi.

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In his notes to "The Cherry Orchard," director Michael Raimondi writes, "The Cherry Orchard is a comedy! Unfortunately, Chekhov has been stigmatized as a classic writer, of classic plays, derived from the Moscow Art Theatre and the Stanislavski system of acting, leaving no room for his original intention. Chekhov wanted his plays to be almost vaudevillian in style."

To correct this error, Raimondi says he has attempted to "meld some of Stanislavski’s ideals of naturalistic acting with an impressionistic, post-modern design, while accentuating the joy and comedy of the play."

Indeed, the production now at The Impact Theater is acted in a naturalistic style that would warm Stanislavski’s Russian heart, and the stage, with its billowing curtains that conceal then reveal the actors, does have an impressionistic air about it. But as for comedy - this production proceeded at such a glacial pace that, while following the plodding action, one is more likely to shed tears of frustration than burst into laughter.

Of course, one of the hallmarks of a Chekhov play is that nothing ever happens. As is often the case in real life, the inhabitants of Chekhov’s world are too immobilized by their own anxiety and inertia to effect any change that might free them from the chains of their stifling existence.

In "The Cherry Orchard," Lyubov (Deborah Pautler) cannot bear to sell her beloved orchard even in the face of financial ruin. Her daughters, Varya (Alexandra Eitel) and Anya (Emily James) are unable to find appropriate mates. And Lyubov’s brother, Gayev (David Perez), spends his time making rambling speeches no one is interested in hearing.

Raimondi seems to believe the way to portray Chekhov’s languid and languishing characters is by having every statement followed by 10 minutes of silence before the next speaker gathers enough energy to respond, or (in typical Chekovian style) to say something totally irrelevant. On stage, there’s one word for this: boring!

Life may be uneventful for the characters in "The Cherry Orchard." But the challenge for any director of this play is to make this lack of activity interesting to the audience. The way to make an audience appreciate the stifling world of this provincial Russian town is not by putting everyone to sleep.

That’s not to say there aren’t some talented actors in "The Cherry Orchard." But either they drown in the general lethargy of the production, or their energy is diffused by the poor performances of other actors.

Pautler’s fey and oblivious Lyubov is like a latter-day Gracie Allen, delivering cheerful non-sequiturs and illogical conclusions with careless abandon. Unfortunately, David Perez is no George Burns. He mumbles and stumbles over his lines and has such an obvious Hispanic accent, one cannot help but wonder when the Conquistadors invaded Russia.

When Tim Lewis enters as Lopakhin, a shrewd businessman who begs Lyubov to chop down the orchard and build houses on the land, he injects enough excitement into the play to awaken the audience, but not the other actors, who continue sleepwalking through the play.

Raimondi is right-on when he compares "The Cherry Orchard" to vaudeville. Chekhov’s quick succession of scenes, his incongruities and his exaltation of the ridiculous are all close cousins of vaudeville. But the analogy only goes so far.

Vaudeville gave birth to comics like George Jessel, Milton Berle and Jack Benny, who were all celebrated for their verbal and visual wit and their split-second timing. They certainly did not meditate over every word. They were ridiculous and they reveled in their own absurdity.

Chekhov’s characters take themselves very seriously. They cry. They threaten suicide. Their pain is real. Unlike the pranksters in vaudeville, they are people whose actions have consequences. They are turned out of their beloved home. They lose their fortunes. They are tricked by lovers.

Writing in pre-revolutionary Russia, Anton Chekhov was able to touch on some eternal truths: we are born, we die and in between those two events, fate treats us like a tiny ship in a hurricane. There’s the drama that makes us both laugh and cry.

This production just makes us sleepy.

"The Cherry Orchard" plays through June 28, Wednesday through Friday at 8 pm, and Saturday at 3 pm and 8 pm at The Impact Theater, 190 Underhill Ave., between Sterling Place and St. Johns Place. Tickets are $15, $12 students. For reservations, call (718) 390-7163.

©2003 Community Newspaper Group