Hartford Stage to Present Tony-Winning Comedy 'VANYA AND SONIA', 5/22-6/15

For the final show of the its 50th Anniversary Season, Hartford Stage will present Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike - the most popular play in America this year and the winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play - from May 22 to June 15. Maxwell Williams, Hartford Stage Associate Artistic Director, will direct this rollicking comedy by Christopher Durang (Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All to You, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, and Betty's Summer Vacation).

With Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, comic genius Durang creates a wildly funny story about a self-absorbed movie star - with her 20-something boy-toy in tow - who returns to the family farmhouse to visit her brother and sister. Her arrival, and subsequent announcement, quickly turns this genial reunion into a hilarious free-for-all.

Director of Boeing Boeing, Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps, and the annual production of A Christmas Carol at Hartford Stage, Williams' most recent credits include Freud's Last Session at TheaterWorks and 33 Variations at the Majestic Theater.

The cast of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike includes Andrea Lynn Green (Harrison, TX, Primary Stages; Giant, Dallas Theater Center) as Nina; David Gregory (TV's "Deception" and longtime heartthrob Robert Ford on "One Life to Live") as Spike; Leslie Hendrix (Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers for 18 years on "Law & Order;" seven seasons on "All My Children") as Masha; Mark Nelson (Broadway's The Invention of Love; After the Fall, A Few Good Men, Rumors, Biloxi Blues, Amadeus, and many others) as Vanya; Stacey Sargeant (Legally Blonde the Musical, national tour; Passing Strange, Public Theatre) as Cassandra; and Caryn West (Broadway's Crimes of the Heart; Toys in the Attic, LA Ovation Award for Best Play) as Sonia.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike features scenic design by Jeff Cowie (Broadway's The Trip to Bountiful; more than 20 shows at Hartford Stage, including Divine Rivalry and The Carpetbagger's Children); costume design by Tricia Barsamian (Broadway's Annie and Sondheim on Sondheim); lighting design by John Lasiter (Broadway's High and numerous musicals at Goodspeed Opera House); and sound design by John Gromada (Broadway's The Trip to Bountiful; more than 30 shows at Hartford Stage, including A Christmas Carol).

Information and Special Events

• Press Night: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 28
• Opening Night: 8 p.m. Friday, May 30

Dinner + Design
On Wednesday, May 28, a member of the Hartford Stage design team shares what it takes to create the theatrical worlds of our season. Learn more about the magic that happens backstage while enjoying a pre-show dinner. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. before the 7:30 curtain. Reservations required. Event tickets are $25.

The Producer's Table
On Thursday, June 5, Managing Director Mike Stotts hosts a pre-show dinner, where he gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce a play. The tour will begin at 5:45 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. curtain. Reservations required. Event tickets are $25. Please note this is an UPPER LOBBY event, accessible only by stairs.

LGBT Night Out!
On Thursday, June 5, please join us for a pre-show nosh and complimentary wine (plus drink specials at the bar) for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patrons. Event begins at 6:15 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. curtain. The reception is free with purchase of a ticket for that evening's performance. Special guests will be Out & Equal Connecticut.

AfterWords Discussion
Join members of the cast and our Artistic staff for a free discussion, immediately following the 7:30 p.m. performances on Tuesday, June 3 and 10, or the 2 p.m. performances on Wednesday, June 11 and 18. Free.

Sunday Afternoon Discussion
Enjoy a lecture from artists and scholars connected with the production immediately following the 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, June 1. Free.

The production runs May 22 through June 15, 2014. Evening performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinee performances at 2 p.m.; and select Wednesday and Saturday matinees are at 2 p.m.

Tickets for all shows start at $25. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more and for students (recommended for ages 14 and up). For a more specific schedule of performances or to buy tickets for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, please call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or visit www.hartfordstage.org.

ABOUT HARTFORD STAGE: Now its 50th Anniversary season, Hartford Stage is one of the nation's leading resident theatres, known internationally for producing classics, provocative new plays and musicals, and neglected works from the past, as well as a distinguished education program that reaches 21,000 students annually. Currently under the leadership of Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts, Hartford Stage has earned many of the nation's most distinguished awards, including a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Margo Jones Award for Development of New Works, OBIE awards, two New York Critics Circle Awards, a Dramatists Guild/CBS Award and an Elliot Norton Award, and has produced nationally renowned titles, including the Broadway productions of Enchanted April and Our Country's Good and the Off-Broadway productions of The Orphans' Home Cycle and The Carpetbaggers Children.

The 2012 Hartford Stage production of A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder is now playing to rave reviews on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre (www.agentlemansguidebroadway.com), and the 2013 production of Man in a Case is currently on national tour.

The leading provider of theatre education programs in Connecticut, Hartford Stage's offerings include student matinees, in-school theatre residencies, teen performance opportunities, theatre classes for students (ages 3-18) and adults, afterschool programs and professional development courses.

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