The Rising Euro

"This is the 100th anniversary of The Cherry Orchard and Chekhov's death, so we did want to stage that play this year," said Brown, who is directing the work with a modern translation. She says it's a pretty straightforward staging, in contrast to Kushner's wildly innovative adaptation of Corneille's 17th-century work. "In effect we have one classical piece that pays tribute to the writer, and then Kushner's play, which is an innovative updating of a classic. So that kind of makes sense."

And, finally, on a serious note, there is a fund-raiser Saturday night for Laura Marchant, a prodigious member of the local theater community—she's worked with loud *R* mouth Theatre Company and the Garage Theatre Company, to name just two. Marchant is undergoing radiation treatment for a malignant brain tumor, a perfect example of terrible things happening to great people. Marchant is a warm, radiant and immensely talented person. Her medical treatments are absurdly expensive, and the fund-raiser, No One Is Alone,will bring together a bunch of seriously talented theater types who will perform music, poetry, dance and humorous sketches. The event, which asks for a $20 donation at the door, begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be staged at the Empire Theater, at 200 N. Broadway, in Santa Ana. For more information, call (714) 547-4688.