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The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard (Вишнёвый сад) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by Znaniye (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Publishers. On 17 January 1904, it opened at the Moscow Art Theatre in a production directed by Konstantin Stanislavski. Chekhov described the play as a comedy, with some elements of farce, though Stanislavski treated it as a tragedy. Since its first production, directors have contended with its dual nature. It is often identified as one of the three or four outstanding plays by Chekhov, along with The Seagull, Three Sisters, and Uncle Vanya.

The play revolves around an aristocratic Russian landowner who returns to her family estate (which includes a large and well-known cherry orchard) just before it is auctioned to pay the mortgage. Unresponsive to offers to save the estate, she allows its sale to the son of a former serf; the family leaves to the sound of the cherry orchard being cut down. The story presents themes of cultural futility – both the futile attempts of the aristocracy to maintain its status and of the bourgeoisie to find meaning in its new-found materialism. It dramatizes the socioeconomic forces in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, including the rise of the middle class after the abolition of serfdom in the mid-19th century and the decline of the power of the aristocracy.

Widely regarded as a classic of 20th-century theatre, the play has been translated and adapted into many languages and produced around the world. Major theatre directors have staged it, including Charles Laughton, Peter Brook, Andrei Șerban, Jean-Louis Barrault, Tyrone Guthrie, Katie Mitchell, Robert Falls, and Giorgio Strehler. It has influenced many other playwrights, including Eugene O'Neill, George Bernard Shaw, David Mamet, and Arthur Miller.

Characters
The spelling of character names depends on the transliteration used.
 * Madame Lyubov Andreievna Ranevskaya – a landowner. Ranyevskaya is the linchpin around which the other characters revolve. A commanding and popular figure, she represents the pride of the old aristocracy, now fallen on hard times. Her confused feelings of love for her old home and sorrow at the scene of her son's death, give her an emotional depth that keeps her from devolving into a mere aristocratic grotesque. Most of her humor comes from her inability to understand financial or business matters.
 * Peter Trofimov – a student and Anya's friend. Trofimov is depicted as an "eternal" (in some translations, "wandering") student. An impassioned left-wing political commentator, he represents the rising tide of reformist political opinion in Russia, which struggled to find its place within the authoritarian Czarist autocracy.
 * Boris Borisovich Simeonov-Pishchik – a landowner and another old aristocrat whose estate has hit hard times. He is constantly discussing new business ventures that may save him and badgering Ranyevskaya for a loan. His character embodies the irony of the aristocracy's position: despite his financial peril, he spends the play relaxing and socializing with the Gayevs.
 * Anya – Lyubov's daughter, aged seventeen. She journeys to Paris to rescue her mother from her desperate situation. She is a virtuous and strong young woman. She is close to Trofimov and listens to his revolutionary ideas, although she may or may not be taking them in.
 * Varya – Lyubov's adopted daughter, aged twenty-four. Varya is the one who manages the estate and keeps everything in order. She is the rock that holds the family together. The reason why Ranevskaya adopted her is never made clear, although she is mentioned to have come from "simple people" (most likely serfs). Varya fantasizes about becoming a nun, though she lacks the financial means to do so. She adores her mother and sister and frets about money constantly. Her relationship with Lopakhin is a mysterious one; everyone in the play assumes that they are about to be married, but neither of them acts on it.
 * Leonid Andreieveitch Gayev – the brother of Madame Ranevskaya. One of the more obvious comic characters, Gayev is a talkative eccentric. His addiction to billiards (often manifesting itself at times of discomfort) is symbolic of the aristocracy's decadent life of leisure, which renders them impotent in the face of change. Gayev tries hard to save his family and estate, but ultimately, as an aristocrat, he either lacks the drive or doesn't understand the real-world mechanisms necessary to realize his goals.
 * Yermolai Alexeievitch Lopakhin – a merchant. Lopakhin is by far the wealthiest character in the play, but comes from the lowest social class, as his father was a peasant and his grandfather was a serf. This contrast defines his character: he enjoys living the high life, but at the same time is uncomfortably conscious of his low beginnings and obsession with business. He is often portrayed on stage as an unpleasant character because of his greedy tendencies and ultimate betrayal of the Gayev family, but there is nothing in the play to suggest this: he works strenuously to help the Gayevs but to no avail. Lopakhin represents the new middle class in Russia, one of many threats to the old aristocratic way of doing things.
 * Charlotta Ivanovna – a governess. By far the most eccentric character, Charlotta is the only governess the Gayevs can afford and is a companion for Anya. She is a melancholy figure, raised by a German woman without any real knowledge of who her circus entertainer parents were. She performs card tricks and ventriloquism at the party in the third act and accepts the loss of her station when the family disbands with pragmatism.
 * Yepikhodov – a clerk. The Gayev's estate clerk is another source of comedy. He is unfortunate and clumsy in the extreme, earning him the insulting nickname "Twenty-Two Calamities" (the nickname varies between translations) mostly invoked by Yasha. He considers himself to be in love with Dunyasha, whom he has asked to marry him.
 * Dunyasha – a housemaid. Like Lopakhin, she is another example of social mobility in Russia at the time. A peasant who is employed as the Gayev's chambermaid, Dunyasha is an attention seeker, making big scenes and dressing as a lady to show herself off. She is in some respects representative of the aristocracy's impotence, as a lowly chambermaid would not in the past have had the freedom to dress like a lady and flirt with the menservants. Although pursued romantically by Yepikhodov, she is in love with Yasha, attracted to the culture he has picked up in Paris.
 * Firs – a manservant, aged 87. An aging eccentric, Firs considers the emancipation of the Russian serfs a disaster and talks nostalgically of the old days when everybody admired their masters and owners, such as Gayev's parents and grandparents. His senility is a source of much of the play's poignancy, symbolizing the decay of the old order into muttering madness.
 * Yasha – a young manservant, accompanying Lyubov on her way back from Paris and desperate to return. Yasha represents the new, disaffected Russian generation, who dislike the staid old ways and who will be the footsoldiers of the revolution. A rude, inconsiderate and predatory young man, Yasha, like Dunyasha and Charlotta, is the best the Gayevs can afford. He toys with the girlish affections of Dunyasha, the maid.
 * A Stranger – a passer-by who encounters the Gayevs as they laze around on their estate during Act II. He is symbolic of the intrusion of new ideologies and social movements that infringed on the aristocracy's peace in Russia at the turn of the 20th century.
 * The Stationmaster and The Postmaster – Both officials attend the Gayevs' party in Act III. Although they both play minor roles (the Stationmaster attempts to recite a poem, and the Postmaster flirts with Dunyasha), they are mostly symbols of the deprecation of the aristocracy in 1900s Russia – Firs comments that, whereas once they had barons and lords at the ball, now it's the postman and the stationmaster, and even they come only to be polite.
 * Grisha – The son of Lyubov, drowned many years ago before her sojourn to Paris. She is reminded of his existence through the presence of Trofimov, who was his tutor.
 * Guests, servants, and others.

Act 1
The play opens on a day in May in the nursery of Lyubov Andreyevna Ranevskaya's home in the provinces of Russia, at the start of the 20th century. Ranevskaya has been living in France since her young son drowned. After she had tried to kill herself, Ranevskaya's 17-year-old daughter Anya and Anya's governess Charlotta Ivanovna have brought her home to Russia, accompanied by Yasha, Ranevskaya's valet. Upon returning, they are met by Lopakhin, Dunyasha, Varya (who has overseen the estate in Ranevskaya's absence), Ranevskaya's brother Gayev, Boris Simeonov-Pishchik, Semyon Yepikhodov, and Firs.

Lopakhin has come to remind Ranevskaya and Gayev that their estate, including the cherry orchard, will be auctioned soon to pay off the family's debts. He proposes to save the estate by allowing part of it to be developed into summer cottages; however, this would require the destruction of the cherry orchard, which is nationally known for its size.

Ranevskaya is enjoying the view of the orchard as day breaks, when she is surprised by Peter Trofimov, a young student and former tutor of Ranevskaya's dead son, Grisha. Trofimov had insisted on seeing Ranevskaya upon her return, and she is grief-stricken at the reminder of this tragedy. After Ranevskaya retires for the evening, Anya confesses to Varya that their mother is heavily in debt. They all go to bed with the hope that the estate will be saved and the cherry orchard preserved. Trofimov stares after the departing Anya in adoration.

Act 2
Act II takes place outdoors near the orchard. Yepikhodov and Yasha vie for the affection of Dunyasha by singing and playing guitar while Charlotta soliloquizes about her life. In Act I it was revealed that Yepikhodov proposed to Dunyasha at Easter; however, she has become infatuated with the more "cultured" Yasha. Charlotta leaves so that Dunyasha and Yasha might have some time alone, but that is interrupted when they hear their employer coming. Yasha shoos Dunyasha away to avoid being caught, and Ranevskaya, Gayev, and Lopakhin appear, once more discussing the uncertain fate of the cherry orchard. Soon Anya, Varya, and Trofimov arrive as well. Lopakhin teases Trofimov for being a perpetual student, and Trofimov espouses his philosophy of work and useful purpose, to the delight and humour of everyone around. During their conversations, a disheveled beggar passes by; Ranevskaya gives him all her money, despite his protestations of Varya. Shaken by the disturbance, the family departs for dinner. Anya stays behind to talk with Trofimov, who disapproves of Varya, reassuring Anya that they are 'above love'. To impress Trofimov, Anya vows to leave the past behind her and start a new life. The two depart for the river as Varya calls in the background.

Act 3
It is the end of August, and Ranevskaya's party is held. Musicians play as the family and guests drink and entertain themselves. It is also the day of the auction; Gayev has received a paltry amount of money from his and Ranevskaya's aunt, and the family members, despite the general merriment around them, are anxious while they wait for news. Varya worries about paying the musicians and scolds their neighbor Pishchik for drinking, Dunyasha for dancing, and Yepikhodov for playing billiards. Charlotta performs magic tricks. Ranevskaya scolds Trofimov for his teasing of Varya, whom he refers to as "Madame Lopakhin". She then urges Varya to marry Lopakhin, but Varya demurs, reminding her that it is Lopakhin's duty to ask for her hand in marriage, not the other way around. She says that if she had money she would move as far away as possible. Alone with Ranevskaya, Trofimov insists that she finally face the fact that the house and orchard will be sold at auction. Ranevskaya shows him a telegram she has received and reveals that her former lover is ill and has begged her to return to Paris. She is seriously considering this, despite his cruel behaviour to her in the past. Trofimov is stunned at this; they argue about the nature of love and their respective experiences. Trofimov leaves, but falls down the stairs off-stage and is carried in by the others. Ranevskaya laughs and forgives him for his folly and the two reconcile. Anya enters with a rumour that the estate has been sold. Lopakhin arrives with Gayev, both of them exhausted from the trip and the day's events. Gayev is distant and goes to bed without saying a word of the outcome of the auction. When Ranevskaya asks who bought the estate, Lopakhin reveals that he is the purchaser, and intends to chop down the orchard. Ranevskaya, distraught, clings to Anya, who reassures her that the future will be better now.

Act 4
Several weeks later the family's belongings are being packed as the family prepares to leave the estate. Trofimov enters, and he and Lopakhin exchange opposing world views. Lopakhin does not propose to Varya. Anya enters and reprimands Lopakhin for ordering his workers to begin chopping down the cherry orchard while the family is still there; Lopakhin apologises and rushes out to stop them for the time being, in the hopes that he will be somehow reconciled with the family. Charlotta enters, lost and in a daze, and insists that the family find her a new position. Ranevskaya bids her old life goodbye and leaves as the house is shut up forever. In the gloom, Firs wanders into the room and discovers that they have left without him and boarded him inside the abandoned house to die. He lies down and resigns himself to this fate. The sound of axes cutting down trees is heard off-stage.

Themes
One of the main themes of the play is the effect social change has on people. The emancipation of the serfs on 19 February 1861 by Alexander II allowed former serfs to gain wealth and status while some aristocrats were becoming impoverished, unable to tend their estates without the cheap labor of slavery. The effect of these reforms was still being felt when Chekhov was writing forty years after the mass emancipation.

Chekhov originally intended the play as a comedy (indeed, the title page of the work refers to it as such), and in letters noted that it is, in places, almost farcical. When he saw the original Moscow Art Theatre production directed by Konstantin Stanislavski, he was horrified to find that the director had moulded the play into a tragedy. Ever since that time, productions have had to struggle with this dual nature of the play (and of Chekhov's works in general). Ranevskaya's failure to address the problems facing her estate and family means that she eventually loses almost everything, and her fate can be seen as a criticism of those people who are unwilling to adapt to the new Russia. Her petulant refusal to accept the truth of her past, in both life and love, is her downfall throughout the play. She ultimately runs between her life in Paris and in Russia (she arrives from Paris at the start of the play and returns there afterwards). She is a woman who lives in an illusion of the past (often reliving memories about her son's death, etc.). The speeches by the student Trofimov, attacking intellectuals were later seen as early manifestations of Bolshevik ideas and his lines were often censored by the Tsarist officials. Cherry trees themselves are often seen as symbols of sadness or regret at the passing away of a certain situation or of the times in general.

The idea of independence and freedom is relevant to the positions of Firs and Lopakhin. Firs has been with the estate for decades, and all he has ever known is to serve his masters. When the news of the orchard being sold breaks, Firs seems unfazed, and continues to carry out his duties, but is unable to find his independence and freedom; Lopakhin was able to "free" himself, in the sense that he was able to find motivation to keep on going. Even though the two are polar opposites on the social ladder, they both have internal struggles regarding what their life is going to be after the orchard is chopped down.

Initial 1904 production
The play opened on 17 January 1904, the director's birthday, at the Moscow Art Theatre under the direction of the actor-director Konstantin Stanislavski. During rehearsals, the structure of Act Two was re-written. Famously contrary to Chekhov's wishes, Stanislavski's version was, by and large, a tragedy. Chekhov disliked the Stanislavski production intensely, concluding that Stanislavski had "ruined" his play. In one of many letters on the subject, Chekhov would complain, "Anya, I fear, should not have any sort of tearful tone... Not once does my Anya cry, and nowhere do I speak of a tearful tone; in the second act, there are tears in their eyes, but the tone is happy and lively. Why did you speak in your telegram about so many tears in my play? Where are they? ... Often you will find the words "through tears," but I am describing only the expression on their faces, not tears. And in the second act there is no graveyard." The playwright's wife Olga Knipper played Madame Ranevskaya in the original Moscow Art Theatre production, as well as in the 300th production of the play by the theatre in 1943.

Although critics at the time were divided in their response to the play, the debut of The Cherry Orchard by the Moscow Art Theatre on 17 January 1904 (Stanislavski's birthday) was a resounding theatrical success and the play was almost immediately presented in many of the important provincial cities. This success was not confined only to Russia, as the play was soon seen abroad with great acclaim as well. Shortly after the play's debut, Chekhov departed for Germany due to his worsening health, and by July 1904 he was dead.

The modest and newly urbanized audiences attending pre-revolutionary performances at S. V. Panin's People's House in Saint Petersburg reportedly cheered as the cherry orchard was felled on-stage.

Other productions in the 20th century

 * A production in 1925 at the Oxford Playhouse by J. B. Fagan and a production in 1934 at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London directed by Tyrone Guthrie and translated by Hubert Butler were among the first English-language productions of the play.
 * The Stratford Festival of Canada mounted productions in 1965, 1987 and 1998. The 1965 production was in fact the first time that a Chekhov play had been performed there. Furthermore, The Cherry Orchard marked the Stratford directorial debut of John Hirsch.   Three of the original Stratford company members were in the cast: William Hutt, playing Gaev; Douglas Campbell, as Lopakhin; and William Needles, in the role of Yepihodov; and three women who are considered among the pre-eminent actors Canada has produced: Frances Hyland (Varya), Kate Reid (Ranevskaya), and Martha Henry (Dunyasha).  Also in the cast were  Powys Thomas (Fiers); Mervyn Blake (Pishtchik); and Mary Savidge (Charlotta), and Canadian born and trained actors: Bruno Gerussi (Yasha); Hugh Webster (Trofimov); and Susan Ringwood (Anya).
 * A production starring Irene Worth as Ranevskaya, Raul Julia as Lopakhin, Mary Beth Hurt as Anya and Meryl Streep as Dunyasha, directed by Andrei Șerban and featuring Tony Award-winning costumes and set by Santo Loquasto, opened at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1977.
 * A production directed by Peter Hall, translated by Michael Frayn and starring Dorothy Tutin as Ranevskaya, Albert Finney as Lopakhin, Ben Kingsley as Trofimov and Ralph Richardson as Firs, appeared at the Royal National Theatre in London in 1978 to nearly universal acclaim. A minimalist production directed by Peter Gill with a cast including Judy Parfitt as Ranevskaya, Stephen Rea as Trofimov and Julie Covington as Varya opened at the Riverside Studios in London also in 1978, to good reviews.
 * In 1981, Peter Brook mounted a production in French (La Cérisaie) with an international cast including Brook's wife Natasha Parry as Ranevskaya, Niels Arestrup as Lopakhin, and Michel Piccoli as Gayev. The production was remounted at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1988 after tours through Africa and the Middle East.
 * The Stratford Festival’s 1987 production also used the Trevor Griffiths text, and subtly shifted the play's emphasis from Madame Ranyevskaya's economic demise to the ascent of Lopakhin. James Blendick as Lopakhin was praised for his skillful man-on-the-rise performance. The 1998 Festival production, directed by Diana Leblanc, was based on a new translation by American-born / Canadian playwright John Murell. Among its cast was Martha Henry (Ranevskaya), Stephen Russell (Leonid), Anne Ross (Anya) and Sarah Dodd (Varya).  Variety noted that: "Leblanc has...remembered that this is a tragicomedy...avoided the obvious and encouraged her actors to find humor rather than high drama. It works beautifully because there is drama aplenty in merely playing these characters with integrity."
 * A Welsh language version Y Gelli Geirios translated by W. Gareth Jones was performed for the first time on 19 February 1991 by Cwmni Theatr Gwynedd in Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor.

21st century

 * The Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, Illinois) performed a version that was translated by its Associate Artistic Director, Curt Columbus, and directed by ensemble member Tina Landau. The play premiered on 4 November 2004 and ran until 5 March 2005 at the Upstairs Theatre. Appearing in the performance were Robert Breuler, Francis Guinan, Amy Morton, Yasen Peyankov, Rondi Reed, Anne Adams, Guy Adkins, Chaon Cross, Leonard Kraft, Julian Martinez, Ned Noyes, Elizabeth Rich, Ben Viccellio, and Chris Yonan.
 * The Atlantic Theatre Company (New York City) in 2005 produced a new adaptation of The Cherry Orchard by Tom Donaghy, where much more of the comedy was present as the playwright had originally intended.
 * A production of the play starring Annette Bening as Ranevskaya and Alfred Molina as Lopakhin, translated by Martin Sherman and directed by Sean Mathias, opened at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in February 2006.
 * The Huntington Theatre Company at Boston University produced a version in January 2007 using Richard Nelson's translation, directed by Nicholas Martin with Kate Burton as Madame Ranevskaya, Joyce Van Patten as Charlotta Ivanovna, and Dick Latessa as Firs.
 * Jonathan Miller directed the play in March–April 2007 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England. The play represents Miller's return to the British stage after nearly a decade away and stars Joanna Lumley as Ranevskaya.
 * Libby Appel adapted and directed the play in 2007 for her farewell season as artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland, Oregon). The new translation, based on an original literal translation by Allison Horsley, is considered to be "strongly Americanized".
 * A version of the play was performed as the opening production on the Chichester Festival Theatre Stage in May–June 2008, with a cast including Dame Diana Rigg, Frank Finlay, Natalie Cassidy, Jemma Redgrave and Maureen Lipman.
 * In 2009, a new version of the play by Tom Stoppard was performed as the first production of The Bridge Project, a partnership between North American and UK theatres. The play ran at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Sam Mendes directed the production with a cast including Simon Russell Beale, Sinéad Cusack, Richard Easton, Rebecca Hall and Ethan Hawke.
 * A brand new adaptation of the play was produced by the Blackeyed Theatre in spring 2009 as a UK tour, with a cast of four.
 * In September 2009, a new adaptation of the play by Stuart Paterson was produced at the Dundee Repertory Theatre with guest director Vladimir Bouchler.
 * A new translation of the play in Punjabi was performed in September 2009 by the students of Theatre Art Department of Punjabi University, Patiala, India.
 * A version of the play in Afrikaans was performed in late September 2009 by students of the Department of Drama at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
 * A new adaptation was commissioned by the Brighton Festival and performed by the Dreamthinkspeak group. They renovated the old co-op home-store on the London Road using the whole store as a stage. They renamed it Before I Sleep and said it was inspired by the original play. It received positive reviews from both The Guardian and The Independent newspapers. It was funded by Arts Council England, National Lottery and a long list of other Brighton and Hove based businesses.
 * In April 2010 at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh the Scottish playwright John Byrne staged a new version of the play as a Scottish 'social comedy', taking place in 1979 Scotland.
 * The Royal National Theatre in London staged a new version starring Zoë Wanamaker from May to August 2011, reuniting director Howard Davies with writer Andrew Upton, which was also shown at cinemas internationally through National Theatre Live.
 * The Eastern Bohemian Theatre, Pardubice, Czech Republic. Directed by Petr Novotný. Translated by Leoš Suchařípa. Starring: Jindra Janoušková (Ranevskaya), Petra Tenorová (Anya), Kristina Jelínková (Varya), Zdeněk Rumpík (Gayev), Jiří Kalužný (Lopakhin), Miloslav Tichý (Trofimov), Martin Mejzlík (Simeonov-Pishchik), Lída Vlášková (Charlotte), Ladislav Špiner (Yepikhodov), Martina Sikorová (Dunyasha), Václav Dušek (Firs), Jan Musil (Yasha), Radek Žák (Stationmaster), Alexandr Postler (Stranger). The play had its premiere on 16 October 2011 and last performance on 14 January 2012.
 * The Vinohrady Theatre, Prague. Directed by Vladimír Morávek. Starring Dagmar Veškrnová-Havlová, Jiřina Jirásková (Charlotte), Viktor Preiss, Pavla Tomicová, Martin Stropnický, Lucie Juřičková, Svatopluk Skopal, Andrea Elsnerová, Pavel Batěk, Ilja Racek, Martin Zahálka, Jiří Dvořák, Jiří Žák. The play had its premiere on 5 February 2008.
 * The Komorní scéna Aréna, Ostrava. Directed by Ivan Krejčí. Starring Alena Sasínová-Polarczyk, Tereza Dočkalová, Petra Kocmanová, Norbert Lichý, Josef Kaluža, Michal Čapka, Dušan Škubal, Dana Fialková, Michal Moučka, Tereza Cisovská, Pavel Cisovský, Albert Čuba, Marek Cisovský, René Šmotek. The play had its premiere on 21 March 2009.
 * The Theatre Workshop of Nantucket staged a new adaptation and translation of Chekhov's Cherry Orchard set on Nantucket in 1972. The play premiered on 14 September 2012. It was directed by Anne Breeding and Gregory Stroud, and translated and adapted by Gregory Stroud.
 * The Stage Center Theatre at Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Illinois, presented a new version of The Cherry Orchard, adapted and directed by Dan Wirth, in October, 2013.
 * PK Productions will premiere a new version of The Cherry Orchard in November 2014 at the New Wimbledon Theatre. Adapted by director Patrick Kennedy, the production updates the setting to London in 1976.
 * Directed by Katie Mitchell, The Cherry Orchard opened at The Young Vic Theatre in London on 10 October 2014
 * A production of the Michael Frayn translation was produced at Helmsley Arts Centre in Helmsley, North Yorkshire in May 2015, directed by David Powley.
 * Clemence Williams directed New Theatre (Sydney) production of David Mamet's adaptation 26 April – 28 May 2016 with an original musical score by Eliza Scott.
 * Roundabout Theatre Company presented a new adaptation by Stephen Karam on Broadway at the American Airlines Theatre, starring Diane Lane as Ranevskaya. Previews began on 15 September 2016, with opening night on 16 October. The production was directed by Simon Godwin, with scenic design by Scott Pask, costume design by Michael Krass, lighting design by Donald Holder, sound design by Christopher Cronin, movement by Jonathan Goddard, and original music by Nico Muhly.
 * An English language adaptation by Vinay Patel in a science fiction setting was performed at The Yard Theatre in London in 2022.
 * During its 2018 season, Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the Lake, Ontario presented a world premiere of The Orchard (after Chekov). Described as The Cherry Orchard transformed into the tale of a Punjabi-Sikh family fighting to hold onto their Okanagan Valley orchard, this version is based on the author Sarena Parmar’s own childhood in British Columbia. "This fresh adaptation confronts life, loss and the Canadian immigrant experience with both bravery and beauty..." It went on to be produced at the Arts Club in Vancouver, B.C. in April 2019.
 * The Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre will be presenting their adaptation of the play with the Cherry Orchard Festival at the New York City Center in June 2020. Directed by Vladimir Mirzoev, and starring Victoria Isakova, Aleksander Petrov, Mikhail Zhigalov, and Maxim Vitorgan, and has been described as, "Visually striking, psychologically nuanced and hypnotically performed Russian staging of Chekhov's play"

Television

 * A television version featuring Helen Hayes as Ranevskaya, and Susan Strasberg as Anya, directed by Daniel Petrie, was broadcast as part of the syndicated The Play of the Week television series in 1959.
 * A Royal Shakespeare Company/BBC Television version from 1962 was directed by Michael Elliott from Michel Saint-Denis stage production. This features Peggy Ashcroft as Ranevskaya, Ian Holm as Trofimov, John Gielgud as Gayev, Judi Dench as Anya, Dorothy Tutin as  and Patsy Byrne as Dunyasha. This version has been released on DVD by BBC Worldwide.
 * In 1981, the BBC produced a version for British television by Trevor Griffiths from a translation by Helen Rappaport and directed by Richard Eyre. Instead of her 1962 BBC role as daughter Anya, Judi Dench here played the mother Ranevskaya to Bill Paterson's Lopakhin, Anton Lesser as Trofimov, Frederick Treves as Gayev, Anna Massey as Charlotta, and a 24-year-old Timothy Spall as Yepikhodov.

Film

 * A film version starring Charlotte Rampling as Ranevskaya, Alan Bates as Gayev, Owen Teale as Lopakhin, Melanie Lynskey as Dunyasha and Gerard Butler as Yasha, directed by Michael Cacoyannis, appeared in 1999.
 * An L.A. Theatre Works recorded version of the play was produced in 2002 starring Marsha Mason, Charles Durning, Hector Elizondo, and Jennifer Tilly. Others in the cast were Jordan Baker, Jon Chardiet, Michael Cristofer, Tim DeKay, Jeffrey Jones, Christy Keef, Amy Pietz, and Joey Slotnick.
 * Wekande Walauwa, 2002, a Sinhalese film adapted to Sri Lankan family context was directed by the prominent Sri Lankan director Lester James Peries.

Other media

 * A new radio version by Katherine Tozer and composer John Chambers was produced for BBC's Drama on 3, airing for the first time on 18 October 2018.
 * An English language visual novel adaptation, produced by Manuela Malasaña, was released in November 2020.
 * In 2022, a high-tech adaptation entitled The Orchard at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jessica Hecht.

Legacy

The Japanese manga Sakura no Sono (1985–86) and its live-action film adaptations are about a drama group in a girls-only private high school putting on a production of The Cherry Orchard.

The play has a role in the comedy film Henry's Crime (2011).

title: The Cherry Orchard


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Sierra National Forest

Sierra National Forest is a U.S. national forest located on the western slope of the central Sierra Nevada in California, bounded on the northwest by Yosemite National Park and on the south by Kings Canyon National Park. The forest is known for its mountain scenery and beautiful lakes. Forest headquarters are located in Clovis, California. There are local ranger district offices in North Fork and Prather.

History
Sierra National Forest was the second National Forest created in California and the largest at the time. It covered over six million acres (24,000 km2) of the Sierra Nevada and was about four times the average area of typical California National Forests. Originally it embraced parts of eight counties from Tuolumne on the north to Kern on the south and Mono and Inyo on the east. Initially its name was descriptive, but later when the Sierra was divided into different units this was no longer the case.

President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed the Sierra Forest Reserve on February 14, 1893. Four years later the south half became a separate unit and was named Sierra South during the "forest reserves" era. This designation was dropped after the administrative transition to the National Forests on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908, the Sequoia National Forest, and Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks were established from this south portion of Sierra National Forest. Eastern portions of Sierra National Forest became the Inyo and Toiyabe National Forests; northern portions were used for Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest.

The Sierra National Forest contains artifacts dating back over 10,000 years, mainly from indigenous people before written records started about 150 years ago. Around the late 1700s, the Fresno River marked the area between the Southern Sierra Miwok and the Chukchansi Yokuts, with the Western Mono living near today's Bass Lake. The borders between these groups were not clear-cut, showing that the Miwok, Yokuts, and Mono territories often overlapped.

The first timber sale on a California National Forest took place in the Sierra NF by the United States General Land Office in 1899.

Geography
Sierra National Forest covers, in descending order of forestland area, the eastern portions of Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa counties, adjacent to the southern part of Yosemite National Park. It includes more than 1300000 acre, at altitudes ranging from 900 to 13986 ft in elevation. The terrain includes rolling, oak-covered foothills, heavily forested middle elevation slopes and the tundra landscape of the High Sierra.

Boundaries
The forest's boundary starts clockwise at the intersections of the Merced River, Sweetwater Creek and HWY 140, then moves east following the Merced River canyon to the border with Yosemite National Park near El Portal. Then it follows the park's southern boundary until it reaches the Inyo National forest near Electra Peak. From there it travels south to its border with Kings Canyon National Park near Mount Goethe. It follows the park's northern border, then heads south to the Kings River near Deer Canyon. From there it moves down the Kings River canyon east; south of the river is the Sequoia National Forest. When it reaches Pine Flat Lake near Trimmer, it turns north towards Tollhouse and continues on to Auberry. From there Sierra National Forest moves on to North Fork, then west to form a small finger towards Coarsegold. Finally, the boundary travels north to Yosemite Forks and moves west towards Miami Mountain, then heads north to return to the Merced River.

Recreation
The forest includes a number of scenic attractions, including Fresno Dome and Nelder Grove. Several reservoirs offer fishing and boating, including Bass Lake, Shaver Lake, Wishon Reservoir, and Courtright Reservoir. There are numerous hiking opportunities in wilderness areas: Ansel Adams, John Muir, Dinkey Lakes, Kaiser, and Monarch. There is also a ski resort, China Peak, that operates under a special use permit. Great sailing opportunities exist at Huntington Lake.

Administration
The Sierra National Forest is located within the Pacific Southwest region of the US Forest Service. The forest is divided into three ranger districts:

Bass Lake Ranger District is north and west of the San Joaquin River. Its Ranger District office is located at 57003 Road 225 North Fork, California, 93643. The district includes 36 camp sites, 17 picnic sites, 7 Off Highway Vehicle Trails, and 10 trails. It includes the Forest Service Offices of Oakhurst (40343 Hwy 41, Oakhurst, California 93644), and the Clover Meadow Wilderness Office.

High Sierra Ranger District is south and east of the San Joaquin River; it has its Ranger District office out of 29688 Auberry Rd P.O. Box 559 Prather, California 93651. This district contains 30 camp sites, 11 picnic sites, and 13 Off Highway Vehicle Trails. It also includes the following Forest Service Offices; the High Sierra visitor information station near Mono Hot Springs on the Kaiser Pass Road, Eastwood visitor information center at Hwy 168 and Kaiser Pass Road at Huntington Lake, Dinkey Creek visitor information center on Dinkey Creek Road near the Dinkey Creek Campground,

Supervisor's Office (an administrative Unit) contains the Sierra National Forest Supervisor's office (1600 Tollhouse Rd Clovis, California, 93611); the Yosemite Sierra Visitor Bureau (40343 Highway 41, Oakhurst, California 93644); and the Fresno Air Attack Base which is co-located with the Sierra National Forest Emergency Communications Center (2307 and 2309 N Clovis Ave, Fresno, California 93727) at Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

In addition, the forest has a close relationship with the Teakettle Experimental Forest which is deep inside the forest and the San Joaquin Experimental Range which is just outside the forest boundaries. They both fall in the Pacific Southwest Research Station which is based in Berkeley, California.

Ecology
The ecology of the National Forest is typical for the western side of the southern Sierra Nevada: distributions of species are largely governed by climate, which is strongly dependent on altitude. The ecology can be described by biotic zones, which are marked by either a tree indicator species, or by a lack of trees. The biotic zones include the foothill woodland zone from 1000 to 3000 ft (interior live oak), the lower montane zone from 3000 to 7000 ft (Ponderosa pine), the upper montane zone from 7000 to 9000 ft (lodgepole pine/red fir), the subalpine zone from 9000 to 9500 ft (whitebark pine), and the alpine zone from 9500 ft (above the tree line).

Some 383000 acre of the forest are old growth, containing lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and red fir (Abies magnifica).

National monument proposal
A campaign to designate the national forest as a national monument was begun in 2015. The proposal for the 1400000 acre Range of Light National Monument would prevent new mining operations and phase out logging and grazing, resulting in a continuous protected area linking Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon national parks. Former Sequoia National Park ranger Deanna Lynn Wulff founded the organization Unite the Parks to campaign for the monument's establishment. The proposal has been endorsed by numerous local businesses and organizations, a group of 200 scientists, the California Democratic Party, Democratic National Committee, Sierra Club, and the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks. The protection of old-growth trees would contribute to the 30 by 30 initiative. It is opposed by Congressman Tom McClintock and the logging industry.

In December 2022, Congressmembers Jackie Speier and Jerry McNerney introduced a bill that would establish Range of Light National Monument comprising the entirety of Sierra National Forest and the San Joaquin Gorge managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The new national monument would be administered by the National Park Service, which would manage land for conservation rather than multiple-use.

Unite the Parks has also led a lawsuit to prevent logging in fisher habitat.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Sierra National Forest


text:
Frederick William Lawrence

Frederick William Lawrence (1892-1974) was a Canadian American airbrush painter, and probably the father of realistic spray painting.

Formerly an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), he served with the Canadian Army in World War I, where he was severely wounded. After months of hospitalization, he was shipped home to Canada. Once he fully recovered, he moved to Michigan, where he worked for Pontiac Motor Company, where he learned to finish cars and to operate a Duco spray gun.

Around 1930, he moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he worked as an auto body refinisher, and began to experiment with painting pictures using the spray gun during breaks.

As he honed his skills, he was featured in various science magazines, Time and on Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Lawrence began giving performances at automobile shows, spray painting realistic portraits and landscapes in less than an hour. As more airbrush artists began copying his techniques, however, the novelty of his work began to fade, and by World War II, Lawrence was one of thousands of commercial airbrush artists, and died in relative obscurity.

title: Frederick William Lawrence


text:
Fastener

A fastener (US English) or fastening (UK English) is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together. In general, fasteners are used to create non-permanent joints; that is, joints that can be removed or dismantled without damaging the joining components. Steel fasteners are usually made of stainless steel, carbon steel, or alloy steel.

Other methods of joining materials, some of which may create permanent joints, include: crimping, welding, soldering, brazing, taping, gluing, cement, or the use of other adhesives. Force may also be used, such as with magnets, vacuum (like suction cups), or even friction (like sticky pads). Some types of woodworking joints make use of separate internal reinforcements, such as dowels or biscuits, which in a sense can be considered fasteners within the scope of the joint system, although on their own they are not general-purpose fasteners.

Furniture supplied in flat-pack form often uses cam dowels locked by cam locks, also known as conformat fasteners. Fasteners can also be used to close a container such as a bag, a box, or an envelope; or they may involve keeping together the sides of an opening of flexible material, attaching a lid to a container, etc. There are also special-purpose closing devices, e.g., a bread clip.

Items like a rope, string, wire, cable, chain, or plastic wrap may be used to mechanically join objects; but are not generally categorized as fasteners because they have additional common uses. Likewise, hinges and springs may join objects together, but are ordinarily not considered fasteners because their primary purpose is to allow articulation rather than rigid affixment.

Industry
In 2005, it was estimated that the United States fastener industry runs 350 manufacturing plants and employs 40,000 workers. The industry is strongly tied to the production of automobiles, aircraft, appliances, agricultural machinery, commercial construction, and infrastructure. More than 200 billion fasteners are used per year in the U.S., 26 billion of these by the automotive industry. The largest distributor of fasteners in North America is the Fastenal Company.

Materials
There are three major steel fasteners used in industries: stainless steel, carbon steel, and alloy steel. The major grade used in stainless steel fasteners: 200 series, 300 series, and 400 series. Titanium, aluminium, and various alloys are also common materials of construction for metal fasteners. In many cases, special coatings or plating may be applied to metal fasteners to improve their performance characteristics by, for example, enhancing corrosion resistance. Common coatings/platings include zinc, chrome, and hot-dip galvanizing.

Applications
When selecting a fastener for industrial applications, it is important to consider a variety of factors. The threading, the applied load on the fastener, the stiffness of the fastener, and the number of fasteners needed should all be taken into account.

When choosing a fastener for a given application, it is important to know the specifics of that application to help select the proper material for the intended use. Factors that should be considered include:

 * Accessibility
 * Environment, including temperature, water exposure, and potentially corrosive elements
 * Installation process
 * Materials to be joined
 * Reusability
 * Weight restrictions

Types

A threaded fastener has internal or external screw threads. The most common types are the screw, nut and bolt, possibly involving washers.

Other more specialized types of threaded fasteners include captive threaded fasteners, stud, threaded inserts, and threaded rods.

Other types of fastener include:

 * anchor bolt
 * batten
 * bolt (fastener)
 * screw
 * bolt snap
 * brass fastener
 * buckle
 * button
 * cable tie
 * cam
 * captive fastener
 * clamp (or cramp)
 * hose clamp
 * clasp and shackle
 * bolt snap
 * carabiner
 * circle cotter
 * lobster clasp
 * cleco
 * clip
 * Binder clip
 * Bulldog clip
 * Crocodile clip
 * circlip
 * Clothespin
 * hairpin clip
 * paper clip
 * terry clip
 * clutch
 * drawing pin (thumbtack)
 * flange
 * frog
 * grommet
 * hook-and-eye closure
 * hook and loop fastener
 * Velcro
 * latch
 * nail and rivet
 * solid/round head rivets
 * semi-tubular rivets
 * blind (pop) rivet
 * pegs
 * tent peg
 * PEM nut
 * pins
 * clevis fastener
 * cotter
 * dowel
 * linchpin
 * R-clip
 * safety pin
 * split pin
 * spring pin
 * tapered pin
 * retaining rings
 * circlip
 * e-ring
 * rivet-like
 * well nut
 * rock bolt
 * rubber band (or bands of other materials)
 * screw anchor
 * snap fastener
 * snap-fit
 * staple
 * stitches
 * strap
 * tie
 * toggle bolt
 * tolerance rings
 * treasury tag
 * twist tie
 * wedge anchor
 * zipper

Common fastener head styles
Source:

 * Flat head fasteners: Ideal for applications where aesthetics are a priority, flat head fasteners sit flush with the surface, offering a clean appearance.
 * Round head fasteners: With a rounded top, round head fasteners provide a larger bearing surface, suitable for sheet metal or thin plastic assemblies.
 * Pan head fasteners: Pan head fasteners combine a slightly flattened top with a larger bearing surface, offering a streamlined appearance for aesthetic applications.
 * Socket head fasteners: Designed for high torque applications, socket head fasteners are driven with a hex key, reducing the risk of cam-out.
 * Hex head fasteners: Known for their high torque capacity, hex head fasteners are easily driven with a spanner or wrench, ideal for heavy-duty applications.
 * Square head fasteners: Offering increased wrenching area and reduced risk of rounding off, square head fasteners are used in high torque applications.
 * Flange head fasteners: Integrating a flange for a larger bearing surface, flange head fasteners distribute clamping force without damaging the material.
 * Wing head fasteners: Featuring protruding "wings" for hand tightening, wing head fasteners are suitable for applications requiring frequent adjustments.
 * T-slot fasteners: Designed for T-slotted aluminium extrusions, T-slot fasteners provide a secure and adjustable connection for framing and guarding systems.

Standards & traceability
There are multiple standards bodies for fasteners, including the US Industrial Fasteners Institute and the European Industrial Fastener Institute.

ASME B18 standards on certain fasteners
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) publishes several standards on fasteners. Some are:

 * B18.3 Socket Cap, Shoulder, Set Screws, and Hex Keys (Inch Series)
 * B18.6.1 Wood Screws (Inch Series)
 * B18.6.2 Slotted Head Cap Screws, Square Head Set Screws, And Slotted Headless Set Screws (Inch Series)
 * B18.6.3 Machine Screws, Tapping Screws, and Metallic Drive Screws (Inch Series)
 * B18.18 Quality Assurance For Fasteners
 * B18.24 Part Identifying Number (PIN) Code System Standard for B18 Fastener Products

For military hardware
American screws, bolts, and nuts were historically not fully interchangeable with their British counterparts, and therefore would not fit British equipment properly. This, in part, helped lead to the development of numerous United States Military Standards and specifications for the manufacturing of essentially any piece of equipment that is used for military or defense purposes, including fasteners. World War II was a significant factor in this change.

A key component of most military standards is traceability. Put simply, hardware manufacturers must be able to trace their materials to their source, and provide traceability for their parts going into the supply chain, usually via bar codes or similar methods. This traceability is intended to help ensure that the right parts are used and that quality standards are met in each step of the manufacturing process; additionally, substandard parts can traced back to their source.

History
In 1988, the United States House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations investigated counterfeit, mismarked, substandard fasteners and found extensive use in critical civilian and military infrastructure. As a result, they proposed Fastener Quality Assurance Act of 1988 (HR5051) that would require laboratory testing of fasteners in critical use applications prior to sale.

title: Fastener


text:
Present Laughter

Present Laughter is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 but not produced until 1942 because the Second World War began while it was in rehearsal, and the British theatres closed. The title is drawn from a song in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night that urges carpe diem ("present mirth hath present laughter"). The play has been frequently revived in Britain, the US and beyond.

The plot depicts a few days in the life of the successful and self-obsessed light comedy actor Garry Essendine as he prepares to travel for a touring commitment in Africa. Amid a series of events bordering on farce, Garry has to deal with women who want to seduce him, placate both his long-suffering secretary and his wife, cope with a crazed young playwright, and overcome his impending mid-life crisis (he has recently turned forty). The character is a caricature of the author's real-life persona, as Coward acknowledged.

Coward starred as Garry during the original run, which began with a long provincial tour to accommodate wartime audiences. He reprised the role in the first British revival and later in the United States and Paris. Subsequent productions have featured Albert Finney, Peter O'Toole, Donald Sinden, Ian McKellen, Simon Callow and Andrew Scott, and in the United States Clifton Webb, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., George C. Scott, Frank Langella and Kevin Kline.

Background
In April and May 1939 Coward wrote two contrasting comedies, both with titles drawn from Shakespeare. One, This Happy Breed, was set in a modest suburban household; the other, originally titled Sweet Sorrow, later Present Laughter, depicted the affairs of a star actor. The title "Present Laughter" is drawn from the song "O mistress mine" in Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 3, which urges carpe diem ("present mirth hath present laughter"). The plot of Present Laughter had been forming in Coward's mind over the previous three years, but he recalled in his memoirs that once he began writing it, the play was completed in six days. He described it as "a very light comedy ... written with the sensible object of providing me with a bravura part". He planned to appear in both the new plays in the autumn of 1939, and they were in rehearsal for a pre-London tour when the Second World War began on 2 September; all theatres were closed by government order, and the production was shelved.

Between the outbreak of war and 1942 Coward worked for the British government, first in its Paris propaganda office and then for the secret service. In 1942 the prime minister, Winston Churchill, told Coward that he would do more good for the war effort by entertaining the troops and the home front: "Go and sing to them when the guns are firing – that's your job!" Though disappointed, Coward followed this advice. He toured, acted and sang indefatigably in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Original production
Present Laughter was first staged at the beginning of a 25-week tour of Britain by Coward and his cast. His producer, Binkie Beaumont, was opposed to so long a provincial tour, and wanted to open at the Haymarket Theatre in London. Coward countered that in wartime conditions, "the provinces can't come to the West End any more, therefore the West End must go to the provinces". Present Laughter was first produced in Blackpool on 20 September 1942, Coward directed and the sets and costumes were designed by Gladys Calthrop. The repertory of the tour also consisted of This Happy Breed and Blithe Spirit; the three were advertised collectively as "Noel Coward in his Play Parade". After playing in twenty-two towns and cities in England, Scotland and Wales, the tour ended with a six-week run at the Haymarket.

Original cast

 * Daphne Stillington – Jennifer Gray
 * Miss Erikson – Molly Johnson
 * Fred – Billy Thatcher
 * Monica Reed – Beryl Measor
 * Garry Essendine – Noël Coward
 * Liz Essendine – Joyce Carey
 * Roland Maule – James Donald
 * Henry Lyppiatt – Gerald Case
 * Morris Dixon – Dennis Price
 * Joanna Lyppiatt – Judy Campbell
 * Lady Saltburn – Gwen Floyd

Plot
All three acts of the play are set in Garry Essendine's London flat.

Act I
Daphne Stillington, a young admirer of the actor Garry Essendine, has inveigled herself into the flat and has spent the night there. Garry is still asleep, and while waiting for him to wake, Daphne encounters in turn three of his employees: the housekeeper (Miss Erikson), valet (Fred), and secretary (Monica). None of them display any surprise at her presence. Garry finally wakes and with practised smoothness ushers Daphne out.

Liz Essendine, who left Garry years ago, nevertheless remains part of his tightly-knit 'family' along with Monica and his manager, Morris Dixon, and producer, Henry Lyppiatt. Liz tells Garry that she suspects that Morris is having an affair with Henry's glamorous wife Joanna, and is concerned that this might break up the family. Their discussion is interrupted by the arrival of Roland Maule, an aspiring young playwright from Uckfield, whose play Garry has rashly agreed to critique. Liz leaves, and Roland rapidly becomes obsessively fascinated by Garry, who gets him off the premises as quickly as he can.

Morris and Henry arrive and discuss theatrical business with Garry. Henry leaves for a business trip abroad, and Garry privately interrogates Morris, who denies that he is having an affair with Joanna. Garry telephones Liz to reassure her.

Act II
Garry, alone in the flat, answers the doorbell to find Joanna. She claims (like Daphne in Act I) to have forgotten her own door key and asks Garry to accommodate her in his spare room. He correctly suspects her motives, but after much skirmishing allows himself to be seduced.
 * Scene 1, midnight, three days later.

Joanna emerges from the spare room wearing Garry's pyjamas just as Daphne did in Act I. She too encounters Miss Erikson, Fred, and then Monica, who is horrified at her presence in such compromising circumstances. Liz arrives and puts pressure on Joanna by threatening to tell Morris that Joanna has spent the night with Garry. Joanna retreats to the spare room when the doorbell rings, but the caller is not Morris but Roland Maule, who says he has an appointment with Garry. Monica leads him to an adjacent room to wait for Garry.
 * Scene 2, the next morning.

Frantic comings and goings follow, with the flustered arrivals and departures of Morris and Henry, Roland's pursuit of Garry, and the arrival of a Lady Saltburn, to whose niece Garry has promised an audition. The niece turns out to be Daphne Stillington, who recites the same Shelley poem, "We Meet Not as We Parted", with which he bade her farewell in Act I. Joanna flounces out from the spare room, Daphne faints with horror, Roland is entranced, and Garry is apoplectic.

Act III
A week later, on the eve of Garry's departure on tour in Africa, he is once more alone in the flat. The doorbell rings and Daphne enters saying she has a ticket to sail with him to Africa. The doorbell rings again, and Daphne retreats to an adjoining room. The new caller is Roland, who announces that he too has a ticket for the voyage to Africa. Garry tries to get him to leave, but as the doorbell rings a third time Roland bolts into the spare room and locks the door. The third caller is Joanna, who has also bought a ticket for the Africa voyage and has written a letter to Henry and Morris telling them everything. Liz arrives and saves the tottering situation, announcing that she too is travelling to Africa.

Henry and Morris arrive and berate Garry for his night with Joanna. Garry fights back by revealing the details of Morris and Joanna's affair, and Henry's extramarital adventures. Joanna angrily slaps Garry's face and leaves for good. Her departure goes unnoticed because Garry, Henry and Morris have become embroiled in what for them is a much more serious row when it emerges that Henry and Morris have committed Garry to appear at what he considers a shockingly unsuitable theatre. Garry objects: "I will not play a light French comedy to an auditorium that looks like a Gothic edition of Wembley Stadium." When that row has blown itself out, it is business as usual and Henry and Morris leave in good humour.

Liz pours Garry a brandy and tells him she is not only going to Africa with him but is coming back to him for good. Garry suddenly remembers Daphne and Roland lurking in the adjoining rooms and tells Liz: "You're not coming back to me... I'm coming back to you", and they tiptoe out.

Revivals
The play has been regularly revived. Coward directed and starred in the first West End revival, in 1947. It ran for 528 performances; Carey once again played Liz, Moira Lister played Joanna, and Robert Eddison played Roland. Coward handed on the lead role to Hugh Sinclair in July 1947. The first West End revival after that was in 1965, with Nigel Patrick as Garry.

Notable successors in the role of Garry include Albert Finney (1977), Peter O'Toole (1978), who also played the role in a production at the Kennedy Center, Washington in the same year, Donald Sinden (1981), Tom Conti (1993), Peter Bowles (1996), Ian McKellen (1998), Rik Mayall (2003), and Simon Callow (2006). The National Theatre revived the play in 2007 and 2008 with Alex Jennings as Garry. More recent Garrys have included Samuel West (Theatre Royal, Bath, 2016), Rufus Hound (Chichester Festival Theatre, 2018), and Andrew Scott (Old Vic, 2019).

Present Laughter was first staged in the US in 1946; after an out-of-town tour it opened on 29 October 1946 at the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway. It featured Clifton Webb as Garry and closed in March 1947 after 158 performances. In 1958 Coward appeared in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles as Garry with Eva Gabor as Joanna. American successors in the role of Garry Essendine have included Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (1975), George C. Scott (1982), Frank Langella (1996), Victor Garber (2010), and Kevin Kline (2017).

London
Andrew Scott starred in a highly acclaimed adaptation of Noël Coward’s play “Present Laughter” at The Old Vic in 2019. Directed by Matthew Warchus, this production was notable for its modern and refreshing take on Coward’s classic comedy. Olivier Awards – Best Actor (Andrew Scott) in the lead role, Olivier Awards – Best Supporting Actress (Indira Varma), Evening Standard Theatre Awards – Best Actor (Andrew Scott), WhatsOnStage Awards – Best Actor (Andrew Scott) WhatsOnStage Awards – Best Supporting Actress in a Play (Sophie Thompson). The play was recorded and shown in cinemas by by National Theatre Live in 2019 and again in 2024.

Paris
Coward directed and starred in a French translation, Joyeux Chagrins, with the central character renamed Max Aramont. The production toured, beginning in Brussels, before opening at the Théâtre Édouard VII in Paris in 1948. In September 1996 a new French adaptation, titled Bagatelle was presented at the Théâtre de Paris, starring Michel Sardou in the lead role, now named Jean Delecour.

Radio
In September 1956 the BBC broadcast a radio production with John Gielgud as Garry, Nora Swinburne as Liz and Mary Wimbush as Joanna. In 1974, Paul Scofield played the lead role for the BBC, with Fenella Fielding as Joanna, Patricia Routledge as Monica, Miriam Margolyes as Daphne, and Joy Parker (Scofield's real wife) as Liz. In April 2013, a radio adaptation was broadcast on BBC Radio 4, starring Samuel West as Garry.

Television
As part of the "Play of the Week" series in August 1964 four Coward plays directed and produced by Joan Kemp-Welch were transmitted on ITV, including Present Laughter, with Peter Wyngarde as Garry Essendine, Ursula Howells as Liz, Barbara Murray as Joanna and James Bolam as Roland Maule. In 1967 ITV broadcast a production starring Peter O'Toole as Garry, with Honor Blackman as Liz. The 1981 West End production starring Donald Sinden was filmed for BBC Television.

Autobiographical references
Coward acknowledged that the central character, the egocentric actor Garry Essendine, was a self-caricature. Ben Brantley called the play "among the most shameless, if liveliest, self-addressed valentines in theater history." Coward repeats one of his signature theatrical devices at the end of the play, where the main characters tiptoe out as the curtain falls – a device that he also used in Private Lives, Hay Fever and Blithe Spirit.

In the 1970s the director Peter Hall wrote, "what a wonderful play it would be if – as Coward must have wanted – all those love affairs were about homosexuals". Whether or not Coward would have agreed, in the 1940s the transformation of real-life gay relationships into onstage straight ones was essential. The play nevertheless contains many references to Coward's own life. Monica is "unmistakably Lorn Loraine", Coward's long-serving and much-loved secretary. Morris has been seen as Coward's agent and sometime lover Jack Wilson, and Henry as Binkie Beaumont. Liz, played originally by Joyce Carey, is thought to be based partly on the actress herself, who was a member of Coward's inner circle.

Critical reception and analysis
The notices for the first production were excellent. The Observer commented, "Mr Coward's production is so inventive, and his own performance so adroit in its mockery of the vain, posturing, and yet self-scrutinising and self-amused matinee idol, that Present Laughter is likely to be future mirth for as long as Mr Coward cares to run it." The Manchester Guardian added, "One is tempted to cast discretion to the winds and predict that this will be remembered as the best comedy of its kind and generation ... one of those rare occasions when the critic must claim the privilege of his fellow-playgoers, simply to marvel, admire, and enjoy wholeheartedly." When Coward brought the play back to the Haymarket in 1947, The Times praised it as "a wittily impudent and neatly invented burlesque of a French farce." When it was first seen in the West End without Coward, in 1959, The Times commented, "plays as funny as this are no longer being written in England."

In 1993 Ned Sherrin wrote, "Present Laughter is one of Coward's four great comedies of manners, along with Hay Fever, Private Lives and Blithe Spirit. It presents a masterly, exaggerated picture not only of the playwright but of his whole household, his court, his admirers, his lifestyle and his era." Brantley observed in The New York Times in 1995, "Yes, Coward was a terrible snob, and there is a certain smugness about Present Laughter that it's best not to examine too closely", but, "The sneaking wisdom of Present Laughter lies in its suggestion that actorly exaggeration and inner honesty are not mutually exclusive." In 1998 John Peter said that despite its period setting the play was timeless, and commented, "As in all the greatest comedies in the language, those of Shakespeare, Congreve and Wilde, the wit is both in the situations and the language." Reviewing the 2016 revival starring Samuel West, Lyn Gardner, in The Guardian, found the play "deeply unpleasant ... misogynistic and snobbish". Two years later the same paper's chief drama critic, Michael Billington, called it an "imperishable comedy".

Reviewing the 2019 Old Vic production, a critic in The Hollywood Reporter noted that "beneath the frantic surface is a subtle depiction of a man trapped by fame and his own image. ... Garry ... eagerly milks melodrama, hammily proclaiming his misfortunes, namely of being in perpetual service to his entourage. And having "acted" for so long offstage, he's reached the point where no one is willing to believe him when trying to be himself." Another, in The Financial Times, remarked that Garry's "susceptibility to flattery stems from a deep well of loneliness ... neediness ... drives Garry's hunger for affection". The reviewer of The Independent agreed, noting that the leading character's surname, Essendine, is an anagram of "neediness", and commented, "Coward's comedy asks us to wonder: who needs whom most – the sun or the planets that orbit it?"

title: Present Laughter


text:
Savitribai Phule Pune University

Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), formerly the University of Pune, is a public state university located in the city of Pune, India. It was established in 1949, and is spread over a 411 acre campus in the neighbourhood of Ganeshkhind. The university houses 46 academic departments. It has about 307 recognised research institutes and 612 affiliated colleges offering graduate and under-graduate courses. Savitribai Phule Pune University Ranked 12th NIRF Ranking in 2022

History
The University of Pune was established on 10 February 1949 under the Pune University Act passed by the Bombay legislature in 1948. M. R. Jayakar became its first vice-chancellor. Its first office was started from the Nizam Guest House, which is part of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute on Law College Road. The university was operated at Nizam Guest House until 1 June 1949. Its current building was originally called the Governor House. As its name suggests, it was the seasonal retreat of the governor of Bombay. B. G. Kher, Chief Minister and Education Minister of the government of Bombay, helped ensure the university received a large allocation of land for their campus. The university was allocated over 411 acres (1.66 km2).

The institution's name was changed from the University of Pune to Savitribai Phule Pune University on 9 August 2014 in honor of Savitribai Phule, the 19th century Indian social reformer who played an important role in improving the lives of women and the Dalit communities in Maharashtra during British colonial rule. She and her husband Mahatma Jyotiba Phule founded India's first native-run school for girls in 1848.

Jurisdiction
Initially the university had a jurisdiction extending over 12 districts of western Maharashtra. With the establishment of Shivaji University in Kolhapur in 1962, the jurisdiction was restricted to five districts: Pune, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Dhule, and Jalgaon. Out of these, two districts—Dhule and Jalgaon—are attached to the North Maharashtra University in Jalgaon established in August 1990.

Vice-Chancellors
Past and present vice-chancellors of the university are:

Departments
The university has various departments and centres, offering courses in science, social science, management, law, etc.
 * The Engineering department offers courses in various fields, including Computer Science Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics and Automation, Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering, and many more.
 * Unipune introduces a bachelor's degree course in Environment Science. The course started from the academic year of 2018–2019.
 * The Department of Foreign Languages was started in Ranade institute building in 1949. It offers courses for German, French, Russian, Japanese and Spanish languages from elementary level to post graduation courses. Batches are conducted in morning as well as in evening. Over 1500 students are enrolled every year.
 * Competition Exam Center (CEC): is for coaching programs for various government competition exams.
 * Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Women's Studies Centre.

Rankings
Savitribai Phule Pune University was ranked in the 601–800 band in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2023, as well as in the 201-250 band in Asia and in the 201-250 band among Emerging Economies University Rankings in 2022.

It was ranked 35th in India overall by the National Institutional Ranking Framework and 19th among universities in 2023.

Student life
The colleges of the university provide residences for students. The International Centre provides residences for international students, including visiting students.

Alumni and faculty
Alumni of Savitribai Phule Pune University include major politicians of India including Vishwanath Pratap Singh, 7th Prime Minister of India; Pratibha Patil, 12th President of India; Vilasrao Deshmukh, 17th and 19th Chief Minister of Maharashtra; and Sharad Pawar, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra. P. V. Narasimha Rao, 9th Prime Minister of India, graduated from Fergusson College, when the college was under the University of Pune.

Khaled Bahah, 2nd Vice President of Yemen and Prime Minister of Yemen, received his BCom and MCom from the university.

In science and engineering, notable alumni of the university include Padmanabhan Balaram, chemist and director of the Indian Institute of Science; Kantilal Mardia, statistician and Guy Medallists; Thomas Kailath, electrical engineer and recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Science; Vistasp Karbhari, civil engineer and the eighth president of the University of Texas at Arlington; Suhas Patankar, professor at the University of Minnesota, and pioneer in the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite volume method; C. Kumar N. Patel, inventor of the carbon dioxide laser, recipient of the 1996 National Medal of Science and vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of California, Los Angeles; and Vinod Scaria, bioinformatician, who is known for sequencing the first Indian genome. V. S. Huzurbazar served as the first head of the statistics department. S.N. Sadasivan who was Civil Services trainer, Author and historian. Madhav Gadgil, an ecologist and Sulochana Gadgil, meteorologist.

Politician includes Agatha Sangma, K. T. Rama Rao, Prakash Javadekar, and Nabeel Rajab.

Academician Jyoti Gogte, graduated her BCom, MCom, and Ph.D. from the university, and was a Ph.D. guide for the university from 2006 to 2013.

Art collector and historian Dinkar G. Kelkar graduated his D. Litt. degree from the university in 1978.

Journalist Shereen Bhan received her master's in Communication Studies, with film and television as her areas of specialisation from the university.

title: Savitribai Phule Pune University


text:
McKendree Long

McKendree Long (1888 — 1976) was an American minister and painter.

Life
Educated at Horner Military Academy in Oxford and at Davidson College, he went on to attend classes at the Art Students League in New York. Upon winning a scholarship for study in Europe, he travelled there, learning an academic style of portrait painting. He returned to the United States, working as a professional portraitist in New York City and North Carolina. Long went on to serve in World War I, and abandoned his artistic career afterwards, being ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1922, becoming an evangelist in the southern U.S. In his seventies, Reverend Long began painting again, in a far more surrealistic fashion that widely differed from the style of his previous portraiture.

Grandson Ben Long (1945- ) is also an alumnus of the Art Students League in New York. Ben Long has gained substantial international notoriety, particularly for his drawings and fresco work.

Archival collections
The Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has McKendree Robbins Long's Papers, including written and printed materials; original drawings, sketches, and illustrations; a folder of photographs; and seven sermons recorded on Duodisc electric transcription discs. Long embellished a portion of his handwritten work with imaginative illustrations and/or illumination, making this collection, and Long, particularly unique.

title: McKendree Long


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Y Lliwedd

Y Lliwedd is a mountain, connected to Snowdon in the Snowdonia National Park, North Wales.

Its summit lies 898 m above sea level.

The eastern flanks are steep cliffs rising above Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw. Y Lliwedd is the most conspicuous of the peaks for those who approach Snowdon via the Miners' and Pyg tracks. Few that summit Snowdon continue over to Y Lliwedd as the challenge of Wales' highest peak is enough, leaving Y Lliwedd quiet and peaceful even when queues are forming at the summit of Snowdon.

Hikers and mountaineers often pass over Y Lliwedd when walking the Snowdon Horseshoe. The noted British climber George Mallory undertook many of his early climbs here. It was also the site of considerable training activity for the 1953 British Everest Expedition.

The north face of Y Lliwedd was explored in the late 19th century and in 1909 was the subject of the first British climbing guide, The Climbs on Lliwedd by J. M. A. Thomson and A. W. Andrews.

Two subsidiary peaks of Y Lliwedd are listed as Nuttalls: Lliwedd Bach 818 m: and Y Lliwedd East Peak 893 m:.

title: Y Lliwedd


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Crib Goch

Crib Goch is described as a "knife-edged" arête in the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, Wales. The name means "red ridge" in Welsh.

The highest point on the arête is 923 m above sea level. All routes which tackle Crib Goch are considered mountaineering routes in winter or scrambles in summer—meaning that they must cross "graded territory" as defined in Steve Ashton's Scrambles in Snowdonia. The easiest of these lines (the ‘bad step’ part of the route) is given a scrambling grade of Grade 1 (the most difficult being Grade 3—routes more difficult than Grade 3 are considered rock climbs).

Route
The classic traverse of Crib Goch from East to West leads up from the Pyg track to a ‘bad step’, where hands and feet are both needed briefly. It is followed by ascent to the arête, before tackling three rock-pinnacles to a grassy col at Bwlch Coch. This first part of the ridge is exposed with precipices below, having resulted in several fatalities, even of experienced mountaineers;  the Snowdonia National Park Authority describes it as ‘not a mountain for the inexperienced’. It is also possible to ascend Crib Goch's North Ridge, which adjoins the main ridge. The route is far more difficult in high winds or frozen ground, and so it is recommended that walkers check the weather forecast beforehand.

It is possible to ascend Crib Goch from Bwlch y Moch SH663552 or from Nant Peris, an ascent via Cwm Beudu Mawr.

From the col the ridge rises again, joining the main Snowdon ridge via the sister peak Garnedd Ugain in the west. Here the path meets the Pyg Track (which descends to Pen-y-Pass) at Bwlch Glas (marked by a large standing stone), before the final climb to Snowdon summit. To the south of the arête lie the lakes of Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw. To the north is the Llanberis Pass. Crib Goch is classed as a Welsh 3000er and is also often climbed as the first part of the Snowdon Horseshoe, which goes on over Garnedd Ugain, Snowdon and Y Lliwedd, before returning to Pen-y-Pass.

Crib Goch is one of the wettest spots in the United Kingdom, with an average of 4473 mm rainfall a year over the past 30 years.

title: Crib Goch


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Garnedd Ugain

Garnedd Ugain, often referred to as Crib-y-Ddysgl, is a pyramidal mountain in Wales that forms part of the Snowdon Massif. It is the second-highest peak in Wales, (Although with a far greater topographical prominence Carnedd Llywelyn is usually considered second highest). and lies just under one kilometre north of the summit of Snowdon itself.

It is part of the Snowdon Horseshoe route, being linked to Crib Goch via the col at Bwlch Coch, and to Snowdon summit via the col at Bwlch Glas. It is also linked to Cwm Glas to the northeast via a steep arete called Clogwyn y Person, which joins the main Crib y Ddysgl ridge about 500 m east of the summit.

Name
Both Garnedd Ugain and Crib-y-Ddysgl appear on the Ordnance Survey's maps of the area. The name Crib-y-Ddysgl refers to the east ridge whilst the summit is Garnedd or Carnedd Ugain.

Crib-y-Ddysgl (meaning "ridge of the dish" in Welsh) is the name used by Alan Dawson for the peak's listing as a Hewitt.

Carnedd Ugain in Welsh means "Cairn of the Twenty" (the form Garnedd is the result of soft mutation). This was possibly named after the Roman legion based in Caernarfon.

The web pages of the Welsh Mountaineering Club suggest that the name could also be a corruption of "Carnedd Wgon", and so named after the prince Wgon sung of by Dafydd ap Gwilym or possibly after the 13th-century poet Gwgon Brydydd.

title: Garnedd Ugain


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Baskerville Shield

The Baskerville Shield is a trophy awarded to the winner of rugby league test series between England and New Zealand. It named in honour of Albert Henry Baskerville, who organised the first ever tour by New Zealand of Great Britain in 1907.

The spelling of the trophy is somewhat controversial, as there is much evidence to suggest that Baskiville was the correct spelling of the surname. However, the Rugby Football League used the Baskerville spelling arguing that this was the version used by the man himself.

There is also a trophy with this name awarded to the winner of the National Competition in New Zealand.

History
The shield was inaugurated for the 2002 New Zealand tour of Great Britain and France in which New Zealand played eight games in Europe and one in Oceania, winning six of these, including three against British club sides and one against an England A team. The test series between New Zealand and Great Britain was drawn, with one win each and one draw. The New Zealand Rugby League agreed that Great Britain should keep the inaugural shield because it wasn't won outright.

In the 2007 New Zealand tour of Great Britain and France, Great Britain won the series 3-0 to retain the shield. The largest of these losses was a 0-44 result in front of 20,324 at the KC Stadium, Hull. The tour was conducted as part of the celebrations of 100 years of New Zealand rugby league and was played in honour of the original 1907 tour. New Zealand played six games in total with five of these in Europe. After the tour, the Great Britain team was put on hiatus with the individual home nations taking priority on the international stage and as a result lengthy tours stopped taking place.

In the 2015 New Zealand tour of England, the shield was contested between New Zealand and England as the Great Britain team had been retired in 2007. England won the shield 2–1. The tour was the first to Europe by an Australasian team since the previous tour by New Zealand in 2007. The tour took place because Australia pulled out of a similar tour that they had agreed to undertake. The tour was shorter than others with just four games taking place, three against England and one against Leeds Rhinos. New Zealand won the Leeds game and the second test by just 9–2 in front of 44,393 at Olympic Stadium, London.

England and New Zealand contested the Baskerville Shield again during the 2018 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain. England won the shield 2–1, taking an unassailable lead with victories in the first two tests before New Zealand gained a consolation win in the final match.

Great Britain toured New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in 2019, which was the first Baskerville Shield to be played out in the southern hemisphere.

Average attendances
The 2015 series saw an average of 11,527 more people attend the three tests, this major increase owing largely to the test played at Olympic Stadium, London when 44,393 people were in attendance.

Seven different stadiums have been used over the twelve tests that have taken place. DW Stadium, Wigan has been used the most times with three tests held there.

Highest Attendances
The highest attendance in the history of the Baskerville Shield test series is 44,393 which was seen at the Olympic Stadium, London, the only game to be played outside of the traditional rugby league heartland of the north of England.

title: Baskerville Shield


text:
Yr Aran

Yr Aran is a mountain peak on a ridge radiating south from Snowdon, Wales' highest mountain, with beautiful views of the summit of Snowdon, Moel Hebog and the Nantlle Ridge. It has an elevation of 747.2 m and a prominence of 235 m.

Although no paths are marked on maps, the ascent is easily made as a detour from the Rhyd Ddu path or the Watkin Path up Snowdon.

title: Yr Aran


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Moussa Arafat

Moussa Arafat al-Qudwa (موسى عرفات; died 7 September 2005) was one of the founders of Fatah and a leading official in the Fatah Revolutionary Council. He was a cousin of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Career
Moussa Arafat was chief of military intelligence in the 1990s. In 2004, he was head of the general security branch in the Gaza Strip. In July 2004, Arafat was nominated head of the Palestinian Security Services in West Bank and Gaza Strip. This nomination and corruption claims against Arafat's family were partially the catalyst for intense armed conflict in the streets of Gaza between Palestinian 'militants' of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade group and fighters loyal to Chairman Arafat's Fatah.

Following the conflict, Yasser Arafat reshuffled the Gaza security apparatus and appointed Abdel-Razek al-Majaideh to the new post of overall director of security for the West Bank and Gaza, outranking Moussa Arafat.

In April 2005, Arafat was removed from his position as security chief but was subsequently named as adviser on military affairs with ministerial rank.

A power struggle between rival Palestinian factions emerged in Gaza and the West Bank in anticipation of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw troops and settlers from the occupied territory by the end of 2005.

In 2003, Arafat escaped injury in an explosion in his office caused by rockets fired, he claimed, by Palestinian enemies. In October 2004, Moussa Arafat and a top security official in the Gaza Strip, survived a car bomb that exploded in his convoy. Israel's military denied involvement.

Death in militant raid
Shortly before 5 AM on 7 September 2005, dozens of masked gunmen (estimates of their number range from 80 to 100) in a convoy of about 20 vehicles, and armed with assault rifles and anti-tank grenades, stormed Arafat's home in Gaza. After a gunfight with Arafat, the gunmen dragged Arafat outside, and shot him dead.

While Arafat's home was near a security forces headquarters and only 300–400 metres from Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas's residence, media reports reported that the police had not came to the scene until 7 AM, two hours after the incident.

Aftermath of Moussa Arafat's assassination
Mohammed Abdel Al, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a militant group, claimed responsibility for Arafat's assassination, saying it killed Arafat to punish him for corruption after the Palestinian security forces had taken no action against him. The PRC consists mainly of former members of the Fatah movement, who have accused Palestinian leaders of graft.

Mahmoud Abbas pledged to track down Arafat's killers but nothing was done. The main suspects are Palestinian offshoot groups.

Arafat's oldest son, Manhal, and three bodyguards were kidnapped by the gunmen who killed Arafat. The bodyguards were released shortly thereafter, but Manhal was held for a day before being released to an Egyptian government delegation in Gaza.

title: Moussa Arafat


text:
Category:Dynamical systems

Dynamical systems deals with the study of the solutions to the equations of motion of systems that are primarily mechanical in nature; although this includes both planetary orbits as well as the behaviour of electronic circuits and the solutions to partial differential equations that arise in biology. Much of modern research is focused on the study of chaotic systems.

title: Category:Dynamical systems


text:
User:MG~enwiki

Bonjour !
fr:Accueil

ENCYCLOPEDIE

WIKIPEDIA

http://www.wikipedia.org

http://fr.wikipedia.org

--Utilisateur:MG-fr- <@> AccueilAccueil Aide Main Page Help 05 02 2005

fr:Encyclopédie

Google
 G o o g l e

http://www.google.fr

WIKIPEDIA:ACCUEIL

WIKIPEDIA

http://www.wikipedia.org

WIKIPEDIA

Accueil  Main_Page

TESTS

 * /Tests
 * /Cartes
 * /France
 * /Suisse

@

Star Wars

Blasons Heraldique Heraldry Blason Coats of arms Armes Blasons
France French

Blasons de France

Blasons de Suisse

Blasons de Grande Bretagne

Blasons d'Allemagne

Autres Blasons

MG/Blasons de France

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikip%C3%A9dia:Projet%2C_Blasons

--WikiMéGa*** @@@-fr 09:22, 13 September 2006 (UTC) Haute-Marne Champagne-Ardenne France

--Utilisateur:MG***-fr- <@> Accueil Main Page Help 09:59, 5 Feb 2005 (UTC)

/USA. /Germany. /UK. /France. /Japan. /Poland. /Sweden. /Switzerland.

http://www.wikipedia.org

Projects

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accueil

http://en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.wikipedia.org/

--Utilisateur:MG-fr- <@> Accueil Main Page Aide Help 09:09, 11 01 2005

WWW

 * USAUSA http://www.wikipedia.org/
 * Grande BretagneGrande Bretagne GB http://en.wikipedia.org/
 * France France http://fr.wikipedia.org/
 * Suisse Suisse Switzerland http://fr.wikipedia.org/
 * Belgique Belgique Belgium http://fr.wikipedia.org/
 * Ilalie Italie Italy http://it.wikipedia.org/
 * Pologne Pologne Poland http://pl.wikipedia.org/
 * Suede Suede Sweden http://sv.wikipedia.org/
 * Hollande Hollande Nederland http://nl.wikipedia.org/
 * Japon Japon Japan http://ja.wikipedia.org/
 * AllemagneAllemagne Germany http://de.wikipedia.org/

--Utilisateur:MG-fr- <@> Accueil Aide:Aide Main Page Help 05 02 2005

Liens Externes

 * http://www.secondeguerre.net
 * http://www.suddenstrike.com
 * http://www.google.fr

Wikipedia's sister projects

--Utilisateur:MG-fr- <@> Main Page 08:19, 10 Dec 2004 (UTC)

--Utilisateur:MG-fr- <@> Main Page 15:19, 9 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Chess

 * http://www.freechess.org/ - FICS

 * http://www.myChess.de/ - Jeu d'échecs en ligne

 * http://www.flyordie.com/jeu/echecs.html - Jeu d'échecs gratuit

 * http://www.echecs21.com/

 * http://www.letsplaychess.com/chessclubs/asplogin.asp?from=127205

 * http://jeu.echecs.com/

--Utilisateur:MG***-fr- <@> Accueil Main Page 10:15, 13 Feb 2005 (UTC)

title: User:MG~enwiki


text:
Eriskay Pony

The Eriskay Pony (Each Beag nan Eilean or Each Èirisgeach) is a breed of pony from Scotland. It is generally grey in colour, and has a dense, waterproof coat that protects it in harsh weather. The breed developed in ancient times in the Hebrides of Scotland, and a small population remained pure and protected from crossbreeding by the remoteness of the islands. It is used for light draught work, as a mount for children, in many equestrian disciplines, and for driving.

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust considering the breed's status to be critical. There are two breed registries for the Eriskay Pony: Comann Each nan Eilean - The Eriskay Pony Society, which was formed in 1972 and has the King Charles III as society patron, and The Eriskay Pony Society was formed in 1986. Both societies are recognised as holding a studbook of origin for the breed. and resembles the exmoor pony and are usually gray but sometimes are black or bay.

Characteristics
The Eriskay Pony generally stands between. It is usually grey in colour, although a few are bay or black. Dark coloured animals generally have the pangaré characteristics of a light-coloured muzzle and ring around their eye. However, according to breed standards set by the late Robert Beck MRCVS BVMS, a longstanding member of Comann Each nan Eilean - The Eriskay Pony Society, they should not have an eel stripe. Chestnut, piebald, skewbald and excess white markings are discouraged by breed registries.

The winter coat is dense and waterproof to protect from the harsh climate, with a thick mane and tail. The head is large, with a wide forehead. The neck and shoulders are well muscled, and the chest deep but generally not broad. The rib-cage is long and the loins short, which increases the strength of the back. The croup is slightly sloping.

The Eriskay has an easy-going temperament, and is suitable as a mount for children. It is used for light draught work, as well as dressage, show jumping, three-day eventing, western riding and driving. Eriskays have successfully competed in combined driving at highly competitive international level competitions sanctioned by the Fédération Équestre Internationale. They have also been used in therapeutic horse-riding.

History
The Eriskay Pony developed in the Hebrides of Scotland, a group of western isles in Scotland and were originally known as the Western Isles Ponies. The origins of the breed are ancient, with roots in Celtic and Norse breeding. It is physically similar to drawings of ponies on ancient Pictish stones found in north and west Scotland. It is related to other northern breeds, including the Icelandic horse and the Faroe pony. The Eriskay takes its name from the island of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides. Originally, the breed had a fairly large population, and until the mid-19th century the Eriskay and similar ponies were found throughout the western islands of Scotland. They were used as crofters' ponies, as pack animals, for light draught and as mounts for children.

During the 19th century numbers were much reduced through increased crossbreeding. The crossbreeding was used to produce larger ponies for draught work, and Eriskays and other island ponies were crossed with horse breeds from mainland Europe, including Arabs and Clydesdales. Other horses, including the Norwegian Fjord, were crossed with island ponies, including the Eriskay, to produce the Highland pony. A few specimens of the Eriskay were preserved on the remotest island of Eriskay in Scotland, mainly due to the difficulties of accessing the island. This stock of ponies remained pure, but through the advent of mechanisation, declined in population to around 20 animals in the early 1970s. In 1941 the SS Politician foundered off the Eriskay coast, and the islanders, using the Eriskay ponies, carried away the cargo of 250,000 bottles of whisky.

Today the Eriskay is rare. Its population is considered to be at critical status by the UK-based Rare Breeds Survival Trust, meaning that there are 300 or fewer breeding females registered in the world today. It is possible that the Eriskay is the last surviving Hebridean pony breed. There are two breed Societies each of which are Mother Societies in their own right: The Eriskay Pony Society achieved legal recognition as a breed society and passport issuing organisation for the UK in 1995 and Comann Each nan Eilean - The Eriskay Pony Society, which is based in the Isle of Eriskay, received legal recognition in 2002. Both Societies maintain studbooks which are recognised as studbooks of origin for the Eriskay Pony and Comann Each nan Eilean - The Eriskay Pony Society keeps the original studbooks of the Society for the Preservation of the Eriskay Pony from 1972. Both studbooks have their origins in the original studbook. The aim of both Societies is to preserve the breed by retaining the original genetic material and following a careful breeding programme which slows, as far as possible, the rate of inbreeding. Only stock registered in either of the studbooks is used. In conjunction with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust The Eriskay Pony Society uses the Single Population Analysis Records Keeping System (SPARKS) to provide advice on the genetic suitability of breeding pairs of ponies.

In addition to the domesticated ponies, there is a small herd of Eriskay ponies living in a feral state on the Holy Isle. These ponies are descended from a group of five ponies brought to the Holy Isle to when it was owned by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare in the 1970s to form a nature reserve. Today the island is owned by the Samye Buddhist Centre for World Peace and Health. They operate a policy of non-intervention, allowing the ponies to live without human interference.

Culture
The Gaelic poet Donald MacDonald (Dòmhnall Aonghais Bhàin) was commissioned by Comann Each nan Eilean - The Eriskay Pony Society to compose a praise poem for the Eriskay pony to commemorate the publication of the original studbook in 1972. The poem makes reference to the pony's position as a crofting animal used to transport seaweed and peat, as well as its genial nature towards children. Bha iad riamh an Èirisgeidh 's gum b' fheumail iad don t-sluagh,

Bha iad troimh na linntean ann sna tìmean chaidh air ruaig;

Thàirneadh iad a' mhòine gu fògairt chur air fuachd

Is làimhsicheadh an òigridh iad 's bha iomadh spòrs 'nan cuairt.

title: Eriskay Pony