Theater Review - "Vanya And Sonia and Masha and Spike"

THEATER REVIEW - “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”

Produced by: The John W. Engeman Theater - Northport

Reviewed by Jeb Ladouceur

We all know who Anton Chekhov is, I suppose, but this reviewer is guessing relatively few of us (present company included) are what might be termed truly “Chekhov savvy.” That said, it’s probably a good idea to explain the odd title of the Christopher Durang play which opened at Northport’s lush Engeman Theater last week.

Exact opposites Stephen Mark Lucas and Kevin Pariseau play ‘Spike’ and ‘Vanya’ at the Engeman thru March 8 Photo by Michael DeCristofaro

“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” a comedy that premiered at the Golden Theater on Broadway in March of 2013 (and closed the following August), takes its title from the names of three characters in two different works by the great Russian playwright. The names Vanya and Sonia both derive from the play, “Uncle Vanya” … and Masha, from Chekhov’s classic, “Three Sisters.” It’s obvious that in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” the sibling trio’s deceased college professor parents were quite the high-brow couple while alive and dabbling in community theater … and presumably peering down on lesser mortals from their ivory tower. As for Spike … he probably thinks Chekhov’s a video game.

At the risk of dating myself, ever since “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” inexplicably landed a Tony for Best Play a few years ago, the show’s title has evoked memories of the 1969 Oscar-nominated film “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.” However the cutesy device of utilizing monikers in ra-ta-tat sequence marks the only similarity the two productions share.

For the benefit of those who might fear “Vanya…etc.” is a re-working of some Chekhov drama … relax. Playwright Durang is no Chekhov! Like the social-climbing husband and wife referred to in his play, Chris is merely a name-dropper … even to the extent of famously having said, “My play is not a Chekhov parody.” No kidding! I hasten to add that I don’t expect a Nobel Prize is in today’s mail, either.

Here’s the V&S&M&S plot: Vanya and Sonia are spoiled incompetents, their existence subsidized by movie star sister, Masha (she of the hunk boyfriend, Spike). Masha plans to sell the house, and Vanya and Sonia panic. Some long-winded scenes ensue. Masha changes her mind about selling. Oh, joy! End of play.

Along the way, Kevin Pariseau (Vanya) … Laurie Dawn, (Sonia) … Sean Young, (Masha) … and Stephen Mark Lukas, (Spike) … try to make Christopher Durang’s play entertaining, and Ms. Dawn almost pulls off the near-impossibility. But the script is just too dry and juvenile to permit its redemption.

To be sure, the play, under the direction of Richard T. Dolce, has its moments … a hilarious reverse striptease by Lucas’s beefcake specimen ‘Spike,’ and a touching Garrison Keillor-Archie Bunker style ‘good ole days’ reminiscence by Pariseau, are highlights along with Laurie Dawn’s slightly over-ripe, but generally satisfying, performance. And Dolce gets comedic mileage out of Isabelle Santiago (Cassandra, the frenetic Maid), and Megan Yelaney (Nina, the saccharin-sweet Neighbor). Their performances are much-needed, because ‘Masha,’ the play’s central character, might as well have been assigned to a potted palm.

Jon Collins, Kate Ashton, and Tristan Raines (Set, Lighting and Costume design respectively) combine to make this show visually superb. The blue-painted, distressed wood home is a place we could happily curl up in … while we admire the ever-changing skies over sleepy Bucks County, Pennsylvania … and wait for the voodoo-obsessed cleaning woman to show up in her rainbow-hued ensemble.

But there is only so much that Dolce, Dawn, Collins et .al. can do with this sow’s ear of a show. Tony Award? Seriously? Congress should investigate the American Theatre Wing. Even in a lean year like 2013 (remember ‘Kinky Boots,’ ‘Lucky Guy,’ ‘The Assembled Parties’ … ?) there’s no excuse for honoring a play that barely recouped its investment, then promptly and understandably closed a month later.

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Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of nine novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. In his newest thriller, HARVEST, an American military doctor is seized by a sinister gang of organ traffickers in The Balkans, and ordered to perform illegal surgeries.

Comments

[Jeannine]

I suspect Mr. Ladouceur's review is much more entertaining as this play!

[Justin L]

Most Broadway and off-Broadway shows don't recoup their investment, so if we are to give awards based on box office success, then by your logic, MAMMA MIA deserves its own commemorative, booze-soaked Tony Award. Also, "spoiled incompetents" might be a harsh description of the characters who suffer from bi-polar disorder and who shared the burden of taking care of their elderly parents who suffered from dementia. No, this certainly isn't Chekov, however, in it's classic-Durang-absurdity, it does touch on many current hot-button American family topics such as entitlements, mental illness, and consequences of ignoring the path in which we tread,

[Jeb Ladouceur]

Maybe Justin is right.
Perhaps the play should not be evaluated as Comedy.
It certainly isn't funny.

- Jeb Ladouceur