Review: Orlando Shakes' VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE is Fresh, Dynamic Comedy

I recently read that unless material comes out of living experience, it does not live. The truth of this premise resonated clearly when I attended preview night for Orlando Shakespeare's final play of its regular season, VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, a show with an unmistakable heartbeat.

VANYA debuted in New Jersey in 2012, and quickly made its way to Broadway in 2013, capturing a Tony Award for Best Play that same year. Playwright, Christopher Durang, has rightfully emphasized that while he scooped up fragments from Anton Chekhov's four masterpieces to include in the script for VANYA, the show is not intended as a parody. While I considered rereading Chekhov before the performance, I was pleasantly surprised that my failing to do so in no way inhibited my enjoyment of the show. Rest assured, the play stands boldly and brilliantly on its own. Notably, audience members can find helpful explanations to match the Chekhov play references in the Orlando Shakespeare playbill.

Within the confines of an inviting Pennsylvania living room, we meet fifty-something siblings, Vanya and Sonia, who, after spending many years taking care of their aging parents, have remained living together in their childhood home. Enter the third sibling, Masha, for a weekend visit. She has brought along her dashingly dense and dubious, young boyfriend, Spike. Masha is a swanky actress, who has always paid for the family expenses and is now contemplating selling the home as her glory days begin to fade. Mix in an outlandish fortune-telling housekeeper, Cassandra, and the beautiful, if naive, visiting neighbor, Nina and we have a collage of quirky elements that somehow perfectly piece together for an insightful dark comedy. The plot is packed with hopelessness and reminiscent despair, however, amidst the shattered lives of the three siblings, Durang brings forth the unequivocal power of the human spirit to persevere.

The cozy cabin set is magnificent with warm lighting and great attention to detail, right down to the placement of the books on the shelves and window sills, and the grass growing just outside the door. It is so inviting that I felt I was in a friend's home and for a moment thought Cassandra may bring me a cup of coffee when she fetched a round for the siblings in Act II. Dan Conway gives us this captivating set as Scenic Designer, and Eric T. Haugen, Lighting Designer, is the man behind the welcoming hues. The set is enhanced throughout the evening by nature's gentle sounds, led by Sound Designer, Britt Sandusky.

VANYA's cast of six presents an uncanny unity, working together constantly to shift the energy from scene to scene. Funny moments feel funnier and sad moments take on a deeper tone because of each actor's ability to connect to one another on stage.

Philip Nolen plays Vanya and must have been born with his forehead stamped, ACTOR, because I can't imagine him doing anything else in the world. He delights us every moment he is on stage with his unbelievably natural performance. Towards the end of the show, Nolen gives a mesmerizing monologue diving into the fast-paced, multi-tasking society in which most of us take part. Nolen allows Durang's descriptions of "better" and bygone days to burst with nostalgia. He somehow finds a way to deliver each line with a fresh enthusiasm by being ever-present and immensely engaged.

Anne Hering gives a sensational and heart-breaking performance as the self loathing, adopted sister, Sonia. I relate to Sonia's subtle but passionate connection to life's quickly forgotten moments of bliss, from enjoying graham crackers and blue herons on a pond to feasting on morning donuts. Hering includes an introspective quality to the role, which brings us in for an empathetic understanding of Sonia's oftentimes painful existence. Hering displays the most impeccable timing and spontaneous reactions, such as in her hilarious interaction with Spike as he performs his initial strip sequence in Act I. Hering's authenticity is magnetic and I am always left in awe at the depth of human emotion she is capable of portraying on stage.

The dazzling movie-star sister, Masha, who has been fitting the bills for Vanya and Sonia for decades, is played by Broadway veteran, Carol Halstead. Halstead is perfectly self-centered with her achy voice and winy demeanor. Her lavish affection for Spike is shamelessly annoying and I knew she was a great actor when I felt the strong urge to give her a good smack during her monstrous moments in Act I.

And no one will forget self-indulgent Spike, played by Benjamin Boucvalt in his debut production at Orlando Shakespeare. He leaves nothing to the imagination, spending many scenes in his underwear. We are fortunate that Boucvalt is skilled at making his audience feel comfortable in the uncomfortable. He is enjoyable and brings an overarching, humorous absurdity to the show.

The two characters whose names do not appear in the title are equally as talented. Fredena J. Williams gives us non-stop laughs with the fortune-telling housecleaner, Cassandra. Her extrasensory sight comes through in hysterical, seizure-like episodes that had the audience buckled over in laughter. Kathryn Miller's ethereal take on Nina is excellent as well. Miller initially portrays Nina as fragile and subservient, but then smoothly builds her into a deeper character with playful fluidity. She consistently captures attention despite the boisterous nature of the other, more developed characters.

VANYA is directed by Orlando Shakespeare newcomer, Eleanor Holdridge. A show about mostly melancholy people has the potential to drag, but with Holdridge's angle, movement choices and arrangement, there is an energetic, almost upbeat flow to the performance. The pace is steady and always entertaining, with no moment left to peak down at your phone for the time.

One of the most memorable and potent scenes takes place towards the end of the show, when Vanya hesitantly, and somewhat begrudgingly, reads his new play aloud to family and friends. This play within a play is written from the perspective of a molecule after the human race has gone extinct. It is such a peculiar, but effective way to guide us into the reality of what will inevitably happen if we continue to ignore the planet's blatant messages that she is at her breaking point. Durang beautifully does his part here to help us grasp what we have to lose. While at any given moment, our world is full of unexplainable pain and suffering, it is also exploding in wonder and hope.

VANYA, playing now until May 1, is an exceptionally written play with talented actors who bring a smart script to another level. It is rated R for good reason and is intended for mature audiences. Visit www.orlandoshakes.org today to get your tickets.

Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo | Orlando Shakespeare

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