Cherry orchard in Japanese style.

Chekhov remains one of the most popular playwrights in the world. And the Japanese theater did not ignore the dramaturgy of Anton Pavlovich.

Motoi Miura, the director of Melikhovo’s play “The Cherry Orchard,” staged almost all of Chekhov’s plays in Japan and received not only recognition from the theater community, but, most importantly, the love of the audience. An unusual interpretation of texts, an unexpected look at the characters and relationships between characters give Miura’s performances a special flavor and a different, unusual sound. The director seems to be writing his text on Chekhov’s drafts, as if he is deciphering slightly worn-out phrases. Feeling absolute reverence for the great writer, he is nevertheless free from the stereotyped theatrical interpretations that are often present on our stages. For Motoya Miura, form is very important; he hones every movement of the actor, creates the intonation score of the entire performance: speech is interwoven and combined with every sound of music, steps, claps, creating a special polyphony of stage space.

“The Cherry Orchard” created by Melikhovo’s actors will perhaps be similar to Japanese sakura, and the combination of two cultures always produces wonderful results.

Motoi Miura graduated from the Tokyo Drama School "Toho Gakuen". As a student, he visited Moscow, where he first became acquainted with Russian theater and drama. Upon completion of his studies, he created his own theater, Chiten, in Kyoto with a small acting troupe. His works have received many awards and are highly appreciated by critics. Performances travel outside of Japan and participate in festivals, including Russian ones.

The Russian debut in Russia of director Motoi Miura took place at the Bolshoi Drama Theater (BDT) in St. Petersburg, where, at the invitation of Andrei Moguchy, Motoi-san staged “Crime and Punishment”. The performance was awarded a special prize from the expert council of the St. Petersburg Golden Sofit Award for the acting ensemble. In February 2024, the premiere of the play “Friends” took place at the Theater of Nations based on the play by the Japanese author Kobo Abe.