Glenbrook Players: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike - Review by Rhonda Hancock

I was very fortunate to attend the opening night performance of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” at one of my favourite local theatre spaces, Glenbrook Theatre. I must admit, I had never heard of this playbefore – however I was familiar with Christopher Durang’s work, having enjoyed reading some of his plays, and seeing some performed. After some research, I discovered that “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” opened in September 2012 in New Jersey, and, after a short run, opened off Broadway in November, where it sold out. It moved toBroadway in March 2013 and closed in August after extending the season twice. It earned six nominations at the 67^th Tony Awards, winning the Tony for Best Play - along with a string of other awards and nominations in 2013.  With all this in mind, I was looking forward to a good night’s entertainment – and I was not disappointed!

As the title suggests, several elements of this play - including the character names, sibling relationships and intergenerational themes -have been derived from the work of Anton Chekov. However, this humorous adaptation doesn’t require familiarity with Chekov to understand and enjoy the play. The play is set in a farm house Pennsylvania, where Vanya and his adopted sister Sonia have lived in all their lives.  They jointly took care of their ailing parents for many years while their movie star sister Masha was gallivanting around the world, having a life.  The action takes place on a weekend when Masha shows up with a new twenty something “boy toy” named Spike. As the play unfolds, the audience is treated to a series of hilarious scenarios and conversations – as the siblings bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives, and lament the passing of time and lost opportunities; at the same time dealing with the awkward situations created by the arrival of a young starstruck neighbour, along with the bizarre antics of the self-centred “boy toy” and the quirky clairvoyanthousekeeper.

Director Jason Darlington has assembled a capable and dynamic cast who brought such energy to the production and portrayed their characters with commitment and conviction. Outstanding performances were given by John Bailey, as the quiet, resigned Vanya; and Aleks Fordas the restless, discontented Sonia. These two actors had great stage chemistry and expertly negotiated the eccentricities of their characters, and within minutes their well-timed banter had the audience in stitches! Both Bailey and Ford are to be commended on their character development – in particular Bailey’s delivery of Vanya’s final rant about “old times” and Ford’s brilliant portrayal of Sonia’s transformation at the end of the play.

Dianne Darlington was hilarious as the flashy diva Masha. Her performance encapsulated the melodramatic and self-entitled aspect of her character – and I really enjoyed watching her unravel as her reactions to each situation became more exaggerated and hysterical. Another standout was Ash Benson who played the role of the self-absorbed “boy toy” Spike. Benson has great comedic timing and was totally committed to the physical demands of the role.  His acrobatic skills on stage were highly entertaining.

Another amusing performance was given by Madeleine Sheehy, in the role of Cassandra, the eccentric housekeeper. Through her witty delivery and strong physicality she expertly portrayed the both the whimsical and erratic traits of her character. Rounding out the ensemblewas Mairead Sheehy who played the role of Nina. She brought a sense of optimistic innocence to her character and gave a strong performance.  

The set is an integral part of any production, and this one has been thoughtfully designed by Jason Darlington and Stewart Macpherson. Both visually appealing and functional – the set clearly represents a country farmhouse whose residents are somewhat obsessed with Chekov, and where the central focus is on the success of their movie star sibling. Ainslie Yardley is to be commended on her set dressing and scenery – and a special mention to Caleb Marshall for his realistic stonewall effects. The costume team (Roslyn Bate, John Forbes, Patricia Forbes, Jill Hogwood and Wilver Velasco) also deserve a mention – the costumes were well thought out, often amusing, and aptly reflected the personalities of each character. Overall, Darlington and his team did a superb job bringing this story to life, and are to be congratulated for producing an enjoyable night of theatre.

I would highly recommend a trip the Glenbrook to catch this very funny play.  If you love Chekov, you will be delighted with the parallel themes and many references made to his work throughout the play. And if you don’t know Chekov’s work, you will still be entertained by the totally relatable characters with their witty dialogue and hilarious antics. Don’t miss this one!