Anton Chekov's UNCLE VANYA Brings Bridge Street Theatre's 'Spring Classics' Series to a Close

The disruptive presence of a “retired” university professor and his much-younger wife upsets the routine lives of the inhabitants of a small rural Russian estate, causing polite facades to crumble and long repressed feelings to emerge with devastating consequences. Following hard on the heels of its phenomenally successful production of Tennessee William's “The Glass Menagerie”, Catskill's acclaimed Bridge Street Theatre tackles yet another classic of dramatic literature, Anton Chekhov's haunting “Uncle Vanya”. Irish playwright Conor McPherson provides a vibrant, earthy, and surprisingly comedic new adaptation of this most intimate and heartbreaking of Chekhov's dramatic works, to be presented in BST's 84-seat “Priscilla” Mainstage, located at 44 West Bridge Street, for a two-weekend run May 9 – 19, 2024.

Featured in the magnificent ensemble cast are Eileen Schuyler (Nana), Richard Neil (Astrov), Steven Patterson (Vanya), Eamon Martin (Telegin), Abby Burris (Sonya), Mike Durkin (Serebryakov), Sarah Jayne Rothkopf (Yelena), and Renee Hewitt (Mariya). Bridge Street Theatre Artistic and Managing Director John Sowle directs, with set design by Carmen Borgia, lighting design by Eric Leary, costumes by Michelle Rogers, and artwork created by Eamon Martin. Production Stage Manager is Hannarose Manning. This production of “Uncle Vanya” is sponsored in part by a generous donation from Nina Matis.

When Conor McPherson's new translation premiered in London's West End in 2020, The Guardian's five-star review called it “A shot in the arm … It returns us to the great, mournful spirit of Chekhov's tale about unrequited love, aging, and disappointment in middle-age, while giving it a sleeker, modern beat. McPherson's script has a stripped, vivid simplicity which quickens the pace of the drama, and despite its contemporary language – Vanya swears and uses such terms as ‘wanging on' – it does not grate or take away from the melancholic poetry.” Surprising as well, in a way made especially fresh in this new version, are the environmental concerns (right there in the original) expressed by the play's character Mikhail Astrov. Plus, the play's themes of isolation, dissatisfaction, and listlessness seem to have taken on new resonance as the world continues its struggle to emerge from the COVID pandemic.

Bridge Street Theatre's “Uncle Vanya” will be performed eight times only, May 9-19, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. Discounted tickets can be purchased online for $28 at bridgest.org/uncle-vanya-tickets/. Seats at the door are $30. For patrons ages 18 and under, all tickets are $15. Additionally, any unsold seats for the preview performance on Thursday evening May 9 and the Sunday afternoon matinee on May 12 will be available at the door on a “Pay What You Will” basis. Just show up before curtain time and pay whatever you feel you can afford for any seat that's not already taken. Doors always open at least one-half hour before curtain time, and we're now featuring live music in the lobby before most performances.

Experience one of the pillars of the modern theatre in a brilliant new translation that the London Evening Standard called “A ‘Vanya' for our times.” Want more details? Just visit the theatre's website at bridgest.org/uncle-vanya/.

Events at Bridge Street Theatre are supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor of New York and the New York State Legislature and by Public Funds from the Greene County Legislature. Bridge Street Theatre's entire 2024 Season is sponsored by a generous donation from Mary E. Barrett.

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