Lyubov Andreyevna gazes out at her family's estate, reflecting on her lost innocence and the tragic personal history that led her away from home. She grapples with the crushing guilt of her past mistakes and the impending loss of the orchard, which she views as an inseparable part of her soul.
LYUBOV: Oh, my childhood, my innocent childhood! I slept in this nursery, I looked out from here into the orchard, happiness woke with me every morning, and the orchard was just the same then, nothing has changed. [She laughs with joy] All, all white! Oh, my orchard! After the dark, rainy autumn and
Create a free account to explore more
Upgrade to Pro for full access — £6.99/month
Director's Notes
Want expert coaching on this scene?
Browse our curated list of acting coaches, dialect specialists, and more.
Need representation?
Browse verified agents and casting directors in our directory.
How well does this scene match you?
Save your casting profile to see match scores on every scene.
Try Headshot AnalyserGo Pro
£6.99/mo
- ✓ Unlimited scene reading
- ✓ PDF downloads
- ✓ Director's Notes
- ✓ Headshot Analyser
- ✓ Cover Letter Generator
- ✓ Practice Mode
- ✓ Agent Connect
- + 1,000+ scenes
More from The Cherry Orchard
Varya's Monologue on Her Future
from The Cherry Orchard
Varya expresses her deep-seated anxieties regarding her unmarried status and the uncertain future following the sale of the family estate. She grapples with feelings of being unwanted and the fear of being forced into a convent life despite her desire for love and a home of her own.
Lopakhin's Triumph
from The Cherry Orchard
Lopakhin returns from the auction to announce that he has purchased the family estate where his ancestors were once serfs. He experiences a manic surge of joy and vindication, declaring his plans to destroy the orchard to make way for modern villas.
Trofimov on Russia's Past and Future
from The Cherry Orchard
Trofimov, the 'eternal student,' passionately explains to Anya the moral cost of their family's wealth and the necessity of labor to redeem Russia's past. He urges her to abandon her aristocratic life and embrace a future of freedom and suffering for the sake of a coming happiness.
Gayev's Monologue to the Bookshelf
from The Cherry Orchard
Gayev delivers an absurdly sentimental and grandiloquent speech to an old piece of furniture, revealing his inability to face the reality of his family's financial ruin. He clings to the past and the 'noble ideals' represented by the bookshelf while the world around him moves toward modernization and the sale of his estate.
Similar Scenes
Act IV, Scene 2 — Isabella's Madness and Suicide
from The Spanish Tragedy
Driven to madness by the murder of her son Horatio and the King's failure to provide justice, Isabella destroys her garden before taking her own life. It is a high-stakes tragic monologue centered on grief, revenge, and despair.
Act II — Trigorin's Obsession
from The Seagull
Trigorin, a successful writer, deconstructs the romantic myth of the literary life to a young admirer. He describes the compulsive, exhausting nature of his creative process and how he views the world only as material for his next work.
Gwendolyn's Jealousy
from The Importance of Being Earnest
Gwendolen expresses her sudden insecurity and polite jealousy upon discovering that her fiancé, Ernest, has a young and beautiful ward. She attempts to maintain a mask of high-society decorum while suggesting that Cecily's physical charms might be a threat to Ernest's moral fortitude.
Rosalind Scolds Phoebe
from As You Like It
Disguised as the youth Ganymede, Rosalind delivers a sharp-witted rebuke to the shepherdess Phoebe for her cruel treatment of the devoted Silvius. She humbles Phoebe's vanity by critiquing her appearance and urges her to accept a good man's love while she has the chance.