FAMILY AFFAIR
‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’ a Chekhovianinspired dark comedy
The playwright Christopher Durang once insisted that, despite its familiar namesakes, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” isn’t an Anton Chekhov parody.
“I take Chekhov scenes and characters and put them into a blender,” he explained.
The Adobe Theater is performing the play from Friday, April 19, through May 12.
Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia live in the family home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Named after Chekhov’s characters by their theater-enthusiast professor parents, Vanya and Sonia have not had to grow up. After spending their adulthood looking after their now-dead parents, neither has a job, and money is provided by their movie star sister Masha, who owns the house and pays the bills.
Vanya (who is gay) and Sonia (who is forever reminding everyone that she was adopted) spend their days reflecting on their lost chances, debating whether the grove of nine cherry trees on their property constitutes an orchard, and bemoaning their rather Chekhovian lot in life. The only other resident of the house is their cleaning woman Cassandra, who, like her namesake, is prone to making dire prophecies that no one believes.
The family is about to lose their home.
“She’s kind of a soothsayer who comes in to save the family in an odd way,” said director Daniel Anaya. “She sees what turmoil they’re going through.”
Washed-up star Masha is tired of paying all the bills.
“She’s sick and tired of supporting her brother and sister,” Anaya continued. “Family problems are brought up. Sonia is an adopted sister. She tells Masha, ‘While you were off making movies, I was taking care of your parents.’ ”
Vanya writes a play about a molecule. It’s his way of letting audiences know they are creating their own doom through climate change and social media.
“It’s one of those plays where you know you’re watching a comedy, but it’s a dark comedy,” Anaya said.
The play opened on Broadway in 2013. The original McCarter Theatre, Off-Broadway and Broadway casts included David Hyde Pierce and Sigourney Weaver. In 2013, it won the Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, among other awards.
The play stars Yannig Morin as Vanya; Megan McCormick as Sonia; Robin Havens-Parker as Masha; Isaac Carrillo as Spike; Matthew Van Wettering as Cassandra; and Emily Cox as Nina.