Review: Wasatch Theatre Company's VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE is a Memorable Utah Premiere

The Utah premiere of the Tony-winning play VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, presented by Wasatch Theatre Company, is a solid, memorable production.

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, by Christopher Durang, is of a rare breed of comedy with characters so well fleshed out that its dialogue stays with you long after the curtain call. Indeed, it may more accurately be categorized as a "dramedy" due to its impactful character-driven scenes. The script is littered with Chekhov references, but they don't need to be understood to appreciate the dialogue.

Vanya and Sonia are middle-aged siblings who live an uneventful life in the home of their late parents. But when their successful actress sister Masha arrives with her much younger boyfriend in tow, their routine is disrupted and they all must learn to come to terms with their differences.

The quality of the production is high, with costuming by Michael Nielsen (assisted by Al Miller) that fits the characters and situations with laser precision. Especially impressive is the verisimilitudinous set by Michael Rideout, with props by Suni Gigliotti. It's easy for the audience to forget it isn't peering directly into the exterior morning room of a lakehouse, complete with kitschy knick-knacks and furnishings accumulated by the family over the years.

Solid direction by Brian Pilling enhances solid acting across the board, despite sporadic line flubs throughout the reviewed performance.

Most impressive is Cathy Ostler as Masha. She inhabits her character through and through from her first line to her last.

Also well cast are Jeffrey Owen as the curmudgeonly Vanya and Karrie Ann Ogilvie as the equally surly Sonia, who both manage to win the hearts of the audience by the end.

Allen Smith leaps into the role of the narcissistic Spike with gusto, Ashlyn Brooke Anderson is a breath of fresh air as neighbor Nina, and Kathryn Wilkins ably fills the part of the mystical maid Cassandra.

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE plays at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center through January 30, 2016. To buy tickets and for more information, visit www.wasatchtheatre.org.

Content Advisory: The play contains a few instances of strong language.

Photo Credit: L-R Jeffrey Owen (Vanya), Karrie Ann Ogilvie (Sonia), Kathryn Wilkins (Cassandra), Ashlyn Brooke Anderson (Nina), Cathy Ostler (Masha), and Allen Smith (Spike)

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