By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Apr 22, 2009 at 2:27 PM

With its presentation of Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard," the Milwaukee Rep treats patrons to a work that is timeless and timely.

Performances of the play, adapted by Irish dramatist Tom Murphy and directed by Ben Barnes, continue through May 10 at the Rep's Quadracci Powerhouse Theater.

"Set in 1904 on the edge of the Russian Revolution, this bittersweet and haunting comedy is Chekhov's final play, a masterpiece about a rapidly changing world and a way of life on the brink of destruction," according to Rep notes. "With fortunes fading fast and the auction of their estate looming on the horizon, an impoverished Russian family is uncertain of what the future will bring."

The cast of "The Cherry Orchard" includes Rep Resident Acting Company members Mark Corkins (Yermolay Lopakhin); Jonathan Gillard Daly (Stationmaster); Laura Gordon (Charlotta Ivanovna); Torrey Hanson (Leonid Gayev); Gerard Neugent (Simon Panteleyevich Yepikhodov); James Pickering (Boris Borisovich Simeonov-Pishchik); Rose Pickering (Ensemble); Deborah Staples (Lyubov Andreyevna Ranyevskaya) and Brian Vaughn (Yasha).

"It's a story that rings true for many of us as we ponder the challenges of adjusting our lifestyles to stay afloat during this economic crisis," said Laura Lynn MacDonald, literary office support member for "The Cherry Orchard."

"Some of the characters you're about to meet are caught in a financial landslide that may at times remind you of the fallen tycoons on the evening news and the longing many of us feel for the bull markets of years ago."

Guest actors in this production are Richard Halverson (Firs); Jurgen Hooper (Petya Trofimov), Erin Neal (Varya Ranyevskaya); Kathleen Romond (Dunyasha) and Lee Stark (Anya), who recently appeared in The Rep's popular production of "Pride and Prejudice."