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🐀 rats in the orchard
🍒 The Rat Wanders Into the Orchard…
Welcome back to The Stage Rat—your theatre-obsessed, cherry-picking rodent scuttling through the ruins of old New York theatre money, whispering beneath velvet curtains and crumbling mezzanines.
This week, I found myself in the orchard. Not some quaint garden party—no, this was The Cherry Orchard at St. Ann’s Warehouse, where ghosts of aristocrats haunt the air like overpriced prosecco at intermission. A show where the trees speak, the house collapses, and the rats? We listen.
Now lets talk The Cherry Orchard...
THE RAT’S RECOMMENDATION:
“The Cherry Orchard”
Cheese Score: 🧀🧀🧀 (3/5)
Description: The Cherry Orchard is a play about a family losing their home and cherry orchard as their old way of life slips away.
Why You Should Care:
Adeel Akhtar leads an unhinged take on Chekhov. He somehow plays it both grounded and wild. One moment he’s quiet and thoughtful, the next he’s bursting with energy. It’s rebellious, a little unhinged, and totally electric. You never know what he’ll do next.
There’s a Band Onstage (Yes, Really). Not hidden away, right there with the cast. Hippie vibes. Chill. It starts off as background atmosphere, but by the second half they’re part of the action—performers in their own right.
“Interactive… kind of. “ This show breaks the fourth wall in bold, weird ways. Characters look you in the eye. They use audience members as props. Sometimes they even climb into it. It keeps you on your toes.
The Whole Thing Feels Like a Dream. Benedict Andrews direction is surreal. Scenes melt into each other. Nothing sits still. Always moving, always shifting, like you're floating through someone’s memory. It's provocative, messy, feverish, silly and random. But it works.
Where - St Ann’s Warehouse
How long is this? - 2 hour 45 mins including intermission.
Who to Bring – Anyone who hears “Chekhov” and nods like they’ve read him (they haven’t). Your friend who joined a commune once and brings it up every three drinks. That other friend still finishing their PhD like it’s War and Peace. People who say “I love immersive theatre” but really just want to be looked at.
Have you seen it? What's your rating? |
Overall Cheese rating: 3/5
Tickets: To get free tickets to The Cherry Orchard 👀 enter this week’s ticket lottery below.
Free Tickets to The Cherry Orchard
Do you smell that? 🧀 It’s the sweet, sweet scent of FREE TICKETS!
Subscribe to the Stage Rat for chance to win free tickets for next week’s lottery.
STAGE RAT RADAR 🚀
One of our rat tribe - Harrison Bryan - is developing a wildly unhinged new musical and we are getting the inside scoop on it including discount tickets!
What is it? BALLS: The Monster-Catchin' Musical Comédy
An epic immersive adventure, action-packed with interactive battles, and 151 adorable/violent puppet monsters! "This show wears its Pokémon influence proud on its sleeve!" (Nintendo Life)
🐀 Discount Code Just for Rats: BATTLE
Ticket link: BALLSmusical.com
Where: Caveat NYC
When: Sat. April 19, 9:30pm ET
Until next week, keep it dramatic, keep it ratty, and always aim for center stage! 🐀✨.
P.S. Thanks for being part of this weird rat family. Please reply to this email and let us rats know how we are doing?
With lots of Ratitude,
The Stage Rat