New Jersey-born playwright Christopher Durang has had substantial success pointing out the absurdities of modern life and family dynamics. Though his works are not necessarily autobiographical, his own life experiences, one might say, certainly prepared him to look at life with a perceptive eye and with a view toward its oddities and perplexities. After all, Durang was raised in a very Catholic home and attended very Catholic schools as a child—and he’s gay. As Durang once explained, “I think we’re all neurotic, and I do think relationships are certainly difficult.”
Presciently, Durang continued, “…when I say everyone is crazy, that means it’s a very bad day where the amount of crazy people in the world has spread out to the entire universe, and it doesn’t seem possible to cope with anything…” That was from BOMB Magazine in the summer of 1987, but it could have been written yesterday.
The Milwaukee Chamber Theatre has chosen to perform Durang’s comedic play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike this season, a work that won a Tony Award for Best Play three years ago. MCT offers a cast that’s a blend of local theater veterans and newcomers. MCT Artistic Director C. Michael Wright makes a somewhat rare stage appearance in the role of Vanya, Jenny Wanasek performs as Sonia, Carrie Hitchcock is Masha and JJ Phillips is Spike. Supporting characters Cassandra and Nina will be played by Rána Roman and Elodie Senetra, respectively. This production will mark Marcella Kearns’ directorial debut (Kearns is MCT’s associate artistic director).
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Durang references works of the great Russian playwright Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) throughout Vanya, as one might suspect from its title, but it’s neither a pale imitation nor send-up. As Durang explains, “The play is not based on Chekhov, nor is it a parody… It’s as if I took characters and themes from Chekhov and put them in a blender.”
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will be performed in the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre, 158 N. Broadway, from Aug. 11 through 28. For tickets and further information, call 414-291-7800 or visit milwaukeechambertheatre.com.
Theatre Happening:
No Exit
Off the Wall Theatre
127 E. Wells St.
Aug. 11-21, 7:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. Sundays)
“Three strangers find themselves locked in a small room together for eternity. There is all the time in the world to help each other—or to destroy each other.” That’s how Off the Wall Director Dale Gutzman predicates his production of John Paul Sartre’s No Exit. The “three strangers” of note comprise Patrick McCann in his final performance with the company, Alicia Rice, who previously appeared in Off the Wall’s Giovanni and Zoe Schwartz, appearing in her company debut.
