A room, which has always been called the nursery. One of the doors leads into Anya’s room. Dawn, sun rises during the scene. May, the cherry trees in flower, but it is cold in the garden with the frost of early morning. Windows closed.
The open country. An old shrine, long abandoned and fallen out of the perpendicular; near it a well, large stones that have apparently once been tombstones, and an old garden seat. The road to Gaev’s house is seen. On one side rise dark poplars; and there the cherry orchard begins. In the distance a row of telegraph poles and far, far away on the horizon there is faintly outlined a great town, only visible in very fine clear weather. It is near sunset. Charlotta , Yasha and Dunyasha are sitting on the seat. Epihodov is standing near, playing something mournful on a guitar. All sit plunged in thought. Charlotta wears an old forage cap; she has taken a gun from her shoulder and is tightening the buckle on the strap.
A drawing-room divided by an arch from a larger drawing-room. A chandelier burning. The Jewish orchestra, the same that was mentioned in Act II , is heard playing in the anteroom. It is evening. In the larger drawing-room they are dancing the grand chain. The voice of Seyonov-Pishtchik : “ Promenade à une paire! ” Then enter the drawing-room in couples, first Pishtchik and Charlotta Ivanovna , then Trofimov and Lyubov Andreyevna , thirdly Anya with the Post-Office Clerk , fourthly Varya
with the Station Master , and other guests. Varya is quietly weeping and wiping away her tears as she dances. In the last couple is Dunyasha . They move across the drawing-room. Pishtchik shouts: “ Grand rond, balancez! ” and “ Les Cavaliers à genou et remerciez vos dames. ”