Cherry Orchard

him. If only I had some money, even a hundred rubles, I’d take it all and run
away, far away. I’d go to a convent.
Trofimov:
Varya:
That’s grand!
(to Trofimov) Someone who is a student ought to be smart! (softly, crying)
You’ve gotten so ugly, Peter, so old! (to Lovey, no longer crying) I will not
live without work, Mama. I just need work every minute of every day.
ONE MALE, ONE FEMALE
Yepihodov: Something unfortunate befalls me daily, and I, if you will allow yourself this
expression, just smile, even laugh.
Enter Varya from the great room.
Varya:
Yepihodov:
Varya:
Yepihodov:
Postman:
Varya:
Yepihodov:
Varya:
Yepihodov:
Varya:
Haven’t you left yet, Semyon? You are such a disrespectful person, really.
(to Dunyasha) Get out of here, Dunyasha. (to Yepihodov) First you break a
pool cue playing billiards, now you’re wandering around the drawing room
like a guest.
You may not, if I may express myself, call me to account.
I am not calling you to account, I’m speaking to you. But you know very well
that you wander from here to there, and you do absolutely nothing. We keep a
bookkeeper, but it’s beyond me why.
(offended) Whether I work, whether I wander, whether I eat, whether I play
billiards, that is for others much wiser and older to decide.
(offstage) They’re on their way.
How dare you talk to me like that! (flying into a rage) How dare you? So
I’m not wise, am I? Get the hell out of here! This instant!
(frightened) I would ask you to express yourself in a more delicate fashion.
(beside herself) Get out of here this instant! Go to hell! (he goes toward the
door, she follows. The Postman is heard shouting “They’re coming!”) There
goes Trouble! If only trouble would get lost! So I never had to lay eyes on
you again!
(exits, from offstage) I’m going to complain to the authorities about you.
You’re back, are you? (grabs Firs’s cane from near the door) Go on, go
on… Go on, I’ll show you… Going? Are you going? I’ll show you…
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