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| Photo: John Cornicello |
I confess I had never seen Chekhov's 'Uncle Vanya', but when I first heard of 'Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike' by Christopher Durang, the 2013 Tony winner of Best Play was based from it, I knew I wanted to see it some day.
Well, the good news it has made it to Seattle, thanks to ACT's new production I saw this past weekend. I am glad I did, and the production has many things that a Gay audience would love. A Gay Character, a Diva, Disney, and lots of Beefcake.
The story goes like this; Middle-aged siblings Vanya (Seattle Theater Legend, R. Hamilton Wright) and Sonia (Marianne Owen), live in the family home in Pennsylvania. 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 (Pamela Reed), who owns the house and pays the bills. Vanya (who is gay) and Sonia (who is forever reminding everyone that she is adopted) spend their days reflecting on their lost chances, Cassandra (Cynthia Jones), the cleaning lady, believes in Voodoo and is prone to making dire prophecies that no one believes.
This static environment is disrupted when Masha returns home, bringing with her a flurry of drama, an endless litany of insecurity, and a much younger, gorgeous, dimwitted and half-naked, lover named Spike the Sexy, William Poole). Spike meets a girl at the lake and introduces Nina (Sydney Andrews), an aspiring actress who provokes envy in Masha, lust in Spike and sympathy in Vanya (Nina even calls him 'Uncle Vanya'). Vanya also lusts after Spike.
Masha has returned home to attend a costume party at an influential neighbor's house and insists that her friends and family dress as characters from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, choosing to dress herself as Snow White.When told she will be going as one of the dwarfs, Sonia rebels and dresses up as The Evil Queen as portrayed by Maggie Smith on her way to the Oscars. As they prepare for the party, it becomes clear that Masha intends to sell the house, leaving Vanya and Sonia devastated.
Later, Spike rudely answers a text on his phone, which provokes a furious rant from Vanya about global warming, and the devolution of culture since the 1950s, among other topics. (This Monologue is probably some of the BEST acting I ever seen from Wright.)
The Play is very current and how the simple times have been spoiled by the fast and Tech, multi tasking era, will Masha finally slow down and smell the flowers?
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| Photo: John Cornicello |
It was great to see Wright and Reed work again (George and Martha from SRT's Virginia Wolfe), who are now brother and sister and have better chemistry than they had in WOLFE. To balance it out Owen has Great chemistry with both Wright and Reed. Poole is FA(A)Bstastic as Spike. Jones as Cassandra steals every single scene she is in and Andrews as Nina is a delight.
Overall the show is is simply FABstastic!
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike continues Through November 16th at Seattle's ACT. Click HERE for more Info.
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