'Cherry Orchard' finds a perfect setting: New Ulm

There is something so right about taking Chekhov out to the country. Luverne Seifert agrees, and he's doing something about it.

Seifert, a director and actor who heads the B.A. Theatre Performance program at the University of Minnesota, is bringing "The Cherry Orchard" to his childhood stamping grounds in southern Minnesota. Performances this week will be at the historic John Lind House in New Ulm. Five Twin Cities actors and four from New Ulm will join Seifert in the production, which uses a script condensed by Sarah Myers of the Augsburg College theater department.

This project grew from two desires: Darcy Engen, who directs theater at Augsburg and is married to Seifert, wanted to do a Chekhov play in an actual house; Seifert wanted to do a play in the New Ulm-Sleepy Eye area, where he lived until he was in seventh grade.

"We chose 'Cherry Orchard' because it deals with the issue of foreclosure and we thought that would resonate with communities where farms have been foreclosed on," Seifert said.

Chekhov focused on a family that is losing its estate, including its famed cherry orchard. For much of the play, oddball characters stew in sweltering heat and fumble with ineffective plans to save the farm. Chekhov wrote it as farce, though it was treated as tragedy in its first production -- a dichotomy that distinguishes Chekhov's genius.

Historic house

The Lind House was built in 1887 by Minnesota's 14th governor. Seifert said the 75-minute production will weave through the front lawn, to rooms on the first floor and then out again to the large Queen Anne porch.

Seifert's first choice of location was the farm home in which he grew up outside Sleepy Eye (his dad still lives there).

"I remember people coming over and sitting on the front porch and playing accordions and drinking beer on a hot summer night," he said. "That's the image I think about when we're doing this play."

Ultimately, the Lind House offered more room and a better location.

"We've had great support from the people in New Ulm," Seifert said. "There's a community theater there, and they helped us set things up. And we're using four community actors from the area."

For the production, Seifert and Engen also were able to secure an Artists' Initiative grant from the State Arts Board.