In 2009, Hawke appeared in two plays under British director Sam Mendes: as Trofimov in Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" and as Autolycus in Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale". The two productions, launched in New York as part of the Bridge Project, went on an eight-month tour in six countries. "The Cherry Orchard" won a mixed review from the "New York Daily News", which wrote "Ethan Hawke ... fits the image of the 'mangy' student Trofimov, but one wishes he didn't speak with a perennial frog in his throat." Hawke's performance in "The Winter's Tale" was better received, earning him a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play.