In this sardonic mashup, Dashiell Hammett's hard-boiled, glamorously pickled American sleuths, Nick and Nora Charles, meet their cousins, the stoic inhabitants of Chekhov's bleak Russian tundra. Naturally, a murder, and hilarity, ensues. Can Nick solve the crime before they run out of vodka? Full length play, approx. 100m, one optional intermission. "A perfect clash of cultures and cocktails, the comic inspiration of The Thin Man in the Cherry Orchard is the electric connection it makes between popular entertainment from two different eras, each a classic of its own right, and each better known by this clever mash-up." - Alex Roe, Artistic Director, Metropolitan Playhouse, NYC Nick and Nora are the perfect sophisticated couple. They drink a lot but should never appear drunk (hung over, yes, but never drunk). Their banter with each other is teasing and light hearted, never angry. They speak in the quick, snappy mode of 1940s screwball comedies, in direct contrast to the Chekovian characters, but they clearly adore each other. My love of film began at a young age. I had seen the entire THIN MAN series by the time I was ten. I was drawn to Nick and Nora's witty banter and playful teasing. Never harsh. Always with love. I wanted to be Myrna Loy when I grew up, but I wound up more like Zasu Pitts. In 2014, I went back to school after a 37 year absence. It was in Lynda Crawford's Playwriting Lab, that I met David Logan Rankin. His dulcet tones brought old school Hollywood flooding back to me, and I knew I wanted to write something for him. I also had the privilege of meeting Wynne Anders, who was classy and exquisite in everything she did. When I studied Chekhov in Lucy Winner's Theater History class, the idea came to me like a bolt of lightning on a religious shrine, and THE THIN MAN IN THE CHERRY ORCHARD began its journey. I was honored to have both David and Wynne with me from its inception. David was instrumental in bringing this play to The Metropolitan Playhouse and for that I owe him a debt of gratitude. Special thanks to Lynda Crawford, Lucy Winner, Virginia Urban, Suzanne Savoy, and Sidney Fortner. Props were provided by The Edward Urban estate. Other props and emotional support courtesy of Michael Aschner. I want to acknowledge my wonderful cast and director who took this play off the page and breathed life into it; my partner in life and art, Frank Coleman, who makes things happen; and all of you, because without you, our audience, theater simply cannot exist. Bambi Everson New York City, July 2021 CHARACTERS: MADAME (MME) RANEVSKAYA (50s) - Matriarch of the family. Elegant and refined in appearance. She is a spendthrift, and dirt poor, but wants to hold on to any shred of dignity left in her. ANYA RANEVSKAYA (20s) - MME. RANEVSKAYA's youngest daughter. Hopeful, impulsive. VARYA RANEVSKAYA (20s) - MME. RANEVSKAYA's adopted daughter, a few years older than ANYA. Anxious, protective. PETER TROVIMOV (30s) - Perpetual student and philosopher. Former tutor to MME. RANEVSKAYA's son and former paramour of ANYA. SIMON SMIRNOV (30s) - Caretaker of Cherry manor. Overworked, anxious and slightly bitter. Secretly in love with VARYA. NICK CHARLES (40s) - The world famous detective. Witty and urbane. Devoted to his wife. NORA CHARLES (40s) - A charming and witty sophisticate. Independently wealthy and madly in love with her husband. INSPECTOR IVANOVICH (40s-50s) - Career law enforcement officer. Ineffectual, arrogant and stiff. PLACE: A suburb in Russia, not too far from Moscow. TIME: 1940s. SETS AND LIGHTING: Single interior set; Most of the action takes place in a living room; Lighting changes should suffice for two scenes, an outdoor bench and the interior of a train compartment. SCENE LIST SCENE 1 - Living room of the Cherry Manor Home SCENE 2 - The interior of a train compartment SCENE 3 - Early morning in Cherry Manor SCENE 4 - A few hours later SCENE 5 - Later that afternoon SCENE 6 - A bench outside the house SCENE 7 - In the dining area SCENE 8 - The next morning SCENE 9 - Moments later SCENE 10 - A few minutes later ORIGINAL PRODUCTION The world premiere of THE THIN MAN IN THE CHERRY ORCHARD was at The Metropolitan Playhouse, 220 East Fourth Street, NYC (Alex Roe, Artistic Director), as part of the New York International Fringe Festival, October 17 - 20, 2019. All four nights were sold out. CAST David Logan Rankin* - Nick Charles Elizabeth Ruelas* - Nora Charles Wynne Anders* - Madame Ranevskaya Becca Kaplan - Anya Cole Lamison - Varya Byron O'Hanlon - Peter Cameron Bossert - Simon Dan Haft* - Inspector Ivanovich *appearing with permission of Actors' Equity Association Production Stage Manager - Rebecca Kaplan Lights - Leslie Gray Sound Design - Frank Coleman Directed by Job Ethan Christenson An Everson/Coleman Production Full-length play, approximately 100 minutes, one optional intermission. Bambi Everson is a playwright, actor, and teaching artist. She