Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
By Christopher Durang
Directed by Eleanor Holdridge
Starring Anne Hering, Philip Nolan and Carol Halstead
Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Orlando FL</strong>
There’s a sense of predestined misery in both Russian literature and in Hollywood supplicants, but the Russian stuff always seems more human. In this mash up of any number of Chekhovian plays and Chekhovian motifs and Chekhovian props and Chekhovian deconstructions, we find one of those oh-so-human stories that the Russian master loved to pen. Vanya (Phillip Nolan) and Sonia (Anne Herring) live in a lovely and decaying country house left to them along with their names by a pair of arty community college professors. There’s a third Sister Masha (Carol Halstead) whose escaped to a fading career in the lime light; she’s also collected more ex-husbands than the Gabor sisters. She has a boy-toy audition partner Spike (Benjamin Boucvalt), and when I say “audition partner,” you know what I mean, nudge, nudge. Say No More. Officially she’s there to attend a costume party, but her secret mission is to sell the house and the cherry orchard, small as it might be. Sonia confronts her mortality, Masha her fading career, and Vanya the march of technology. Hurray for licking your own postage stamps! And as for Spike, well, he can hump mud and have a good time. He, too is timeless until he’s not.
The jokes connect, the set (by Dan Conway) is gorgeous and a background track of loons and owls is just at a liminal level. Supporting actor Fredena Williams as soothsayer and voodoo mama brings out the special comedy in the show and wispy Nina (Kathryn Miller) is ethereal. Nolan is calm and soothing; his final monologue rant is breathtaking. Hering transforms herself from ugly duckling to beautiful swan using her Maggie Smith impression; she gets an Oscar for playing a woman who doesn’t get an Oscar. Just this concept gives double bonus points to writer Christopher Durang. Halstead’s fading beauty offers a Mrs. Robinson eroticism, and she does look good in those pleather pants. Mr. Boucvalt is not very likeable; this is exactly what the role needs complete with a boy toy build and a flexible sense of who his next partner might be. This is a brilliant end to this season’s cycle, full of laughs and sobs and a few S.O.B’s.
For more information on Orlando Shakespeare Theater, visit http://www.orlandoshakes.org
