David Blair, Sophie Sieh, CrisMarie Campbell, Mikey Winn and Cathy Kraft appear in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”
Whitefish Theatre Co. presents the award-winning play “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25-26 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. The company’s third Black Curtain Theatre production of the 2019-2020 season is described as “snarky and delightfully well-written.”
In pastoral Bucks County, PA, Vanya and his sister Sonia reside in their old family home, mourning their lost dreams and missed opportunities. However, when their fortune-telling maid, Cassandra, warns of impending dangers, and their movie star sister, Masha, arrives unexpectedly with her hunky boy toy, Spike, a lifetime of sibling rivalry explodes into a rollicking weekend of one-upmanship, exposed nerves, and a lot of broken mugs.
Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, acclaimed playwright Christopher Durang has penned a laugh-out-loud play on the modern topic of sibling rivalries and sprinkled it as a loving homage to Anton Chekhov’s themes of heartbreak and hope.
“By taking Chekhovian characters and subjects and putting them through a blender, Christopher Durang has written a sharp and honest play for the 21st century,” said director Katie Nixon. “The classic ideas that run through this play – romanticizing the past, feeling like life has passed you by, unrequited love, envy, narcissism, losing your place or space in the vast scheme of things – are all things we have felt at one time or another.”
She describes “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” as a “deliciously funny update on these themes – an outrageous comedy that offers an offbeat take on regret, longing, and the possibility of change.”
Cast members include David Blair as Vanya, Cathy Kraft as Sonia, CrisMarie Campbell as Masha, Sarina Hart as Cassandra, Sophie Sieh as Nina, and Mikey Winn as Spike.
“The cast is having a blast,” says Nixon. “Though the characters in the show may not be able to get out of their own way, these actors have fully embraced the challenges put before them.”
Viewers are reminded that as a Black Curtain production, there will minimal staging, no set or props, and actors may reference their scripts. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students with general seating.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 406-862-5371, online at whitefishtheatreco.org or at the door on the evenings of each show. The Box Office, located at 1 Central Ave. in Whitefish, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and at 6:30 p.m. on the night of each show.