These four plays prove The Village Voice's acclaim that Tom Donaghy has "mastered the Chekhovian tactic of having people say everything except what's on their mind". From a young man torn between the love of his family and the desire for another man to two children coming to terms with their parent aging, The Beginning of August and Other Plays showcases Donaghy's exceptional ability to bring to the surface the emotional undercurrents of quiet, working-class families faced with the reality that their children are living vastly different lives from what they had envisioned.

Tom Donaghy's adaptation of Chekhov's beloved and richly bittersweet comedy about a world in transition preserves the economy and humor of the original while highlighting the lyricism and stylistic ambition of the master playwright's final work. "Tom Donaghy has written a new adaptation of THE CHERRY ORCHARD that feels, at times, like an altogether new play: He propels Ronald Meyer's translation into modern vernacular ... Donaghy does capture the play's comedy and, paradoxically, its existential despair." -Jeremy McCarter, New York Magazine "A swift, modern adaptation by Tom Donaghy ... a...