Uncle Vanya Revival 2000

If the blocked sight lines caused by Santo Loquasto's dominating set - the wooden skeleton of a Russian two-story country home - seem at first a bit of an annoyance in Classic Stage Company's engrossing and well-acted production of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, the wonderful moodiness his work helps create becomes more evident as the evening moves onward. With most of the action taking place on the porch pushed to the forefront, the audience can partially view the unseen business of others through thick structural beams. Or perhaps watch scenes with those not directly involved in the forefront. And while the clarity of your view depends on which of the three sections you're seated in, it seems intentional that nobody can tell exactly what is happening in one key moment.