BWW Reviews: Durang's VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE Reboots Chekhov at Trinity Rep

These days, it is said more and more often that there are no new ideas under the sun. These accusations of a lack of originality are especially directed at Hollywood and the television studios. While there are, in reality, still great original ideas coming out of Hollywood and television, there is also no shortage of originality in the world of live theater. Unfortunately, Christopher Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, playing at Trinity Rep, feels like little more than a needless attempt to update and reboot Chekov while using as many modern day and mostly unnecessary pop-culture references as possible.

For the uninitiated, Anton Chekhov was a Russian author and playwright during the late 1800s. While his plays were not highly successful when they first appeared, they have become among the classics of theatrical history. Among them are The Seagull, The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard and Uncle Vanya, all of which are frequently produced today, from community Theater Productions to Broadway revivials. Jumping ahead to the early 2000s, modern-day playwright Christopher Durang has taken those plays and their common elements,put them together, and given them a few modern twists in his Tony Award-winning play.

Most problematic about Durang's script is that it feels more like a parlor game than a great story told through the medium of live theater. It's as if he and his playwright friends were sitting around and someone challenged him to write a play that incorporated as many Chekhov references or homages as possible in a modern-day setting. Then, someone else dared him to add as many pop-culture references as he possibly could, maybe giving him a seemingly endless and impossible list. What it all amounts to, though, isn't anything particularly compelling or original. Durang is known for, among many things, his dark humor and acerbic with, both of which are undeniably on display here, but he doesn't seem to have really stretched beyond that in this case.

Sure, there are themes of family, relationships, failure and disappointment, among others. Most, if not all of them, are familiar themes from the plays of Chekhov and that's the only purpose they really serve here, to be nods to the Russian playwright and little else. The play is full of those moments, especially in the first act, and they are not subtle. They are less hints or homages and are more like a giant neon sign, hanging over the audience, that blinks, "Hey! Look! Another Chekhov reference!" And many of the jokes just aren't as funny if you don't understand all of those references. When a character says to another, "Can I call you Uncle Vanya?" it's much funnier if you know who or what Uncle Vanya is.

The same can be said of numerous jokes and laugh lines in the script. You won't get them if you aren't "in on the joke" in some way. Sure, the bit about WaWa is funny, but it's much funnier if you know what WaWa is. Many of these moments reference the trials and tribulations of today's working actors. Again, a number of the jokes are going to be much funnier if you're an actor, director, writer or theatrical professional in some way. For example, the bit about an acting class that incorporates both Stanislavski and Meisner is funny but much funnier when you know who those acting teachers were and why it's funny to combine them.

All the wink-wink-nudge-nudge stuff gets tedious and tiresome after a while. The same goes for the "see what else I can mention!" barrage of pop-culture. It's almost as if the director or writers is sitting next to you, saying, "Did you see that? Did you see what I did there?" It all really just takes away from the characters and the story and themes at the center of the play, which are always the real reason to see any production. That's not to say those elements aren't present here, they certainly are. And Durang, one of the most consistent and reliable playwrights working today, does fill the play with numerous moments of wit, absurdity and hilarity.

As reliable as Durang is as a playwright, just as reliable are the actors of Trinity Rep's resident Acting Company. Consistently brilliant in their performances, they do not disappoint in this show. Playing the three Chekhovian siblings are Janice Duclos as Sonia, Phyllis Kay as Masha and Brian McEleney as Vanya. All three of these characters have their quirks and eccentricities, all three are caught up in their own self-centered universe, everything revolving around their own problems and miseries. Each of the actors provides the perfect amount of life and energy to these peculiar characters, delivering every absurd line with a perfectly straight face. Especially wonderful is Duclos, who just might be giving one of the best performances of her time at Trinity.

While the three resident company members are a pleasure to watch, equally enjoyable are the three Trinity/Brown MFA actors who make up the remainder of the ensemble. They are the best reason, or one of the best reasons, to see this show. While the three supporting roles they play could easily have become thankless or throwaway parts, the actors, with the help of director Curt Columbus, create a trio of charismatic, fantastic performances.

Mark Larson plays Spike, Masha's very young, very pretty boy toy. Larson has seeming endless energy and a remarkably expressive face and body. His reverse strip tease is hilarious, as are many of his comic line deliveries. Sylvia Kates is delightful as Nina, the neighbor's niece who is an aspiring actress. She brings absolute sunshine to the stage every moment she's there and fills it with positive energy and a wonderful sense of innocence. Finally is Tangela Large as Cassandra, the cleaning lady and wanna-be-voodoo priestess. Taking her name from Greek tragedy, she has some hilarious monologues predicting the future. When she's not spouting warnings of impending doom, she is stealing every moment with her personality and charisma.

There are undeniably great performances here and a lot of absurd fun to be had. Still, it's a diffiucult play to recommend to anyone who isn't interested in Chekhov, Durang, pop culture or Trinity's fabulous young Trinity/Brown MFA actors. There are just too many better options for holiday theatrical viewing, including Trinity's own A Christmas Carol playing right upstairs.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is at Trinity Rep through December 22nd. Performances are at 7:30pm Tuesday through Saturday with performances at 2:00pm and 7:30 pm on Sunday. Tickets on sale now through the box office at 201 Washington St., by phone at (401) 351-4242 and online at www.trinityrep.com.

Pictured: Sylvia Kates and Brian McEleney. Photo by Mark Turek.

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