Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike presented by Village Theatre Guild
Family: you can't live with them, and you can't live without them.
Just ask Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.
Playwright Christopher Durang shows that all's fair in love and in family feuds in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, opening May 20 at the Village Theatre Guild in Glen Ellyn. In 2013, the show won the Tony Award an the New York Drama Critic's Circle Award for Best Play, as well as the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play.
Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia share a home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives after having stayed home to care for their aging parents who have passed away. Meanwhile, their self-involved sister Masha, has traveled the world as a decadent movie star, owns the family home, and pays all the bills. Cassandra, the soothsayer cleaning lady warns Vanya and Sonia of impending doom, and then Masha suddenly returns home with her new 20-something boy toy, Spike. Also on the scene is the neighbor's niece, a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina, whose presence vexes the imperious Masha. Old family resentments flare, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. In this modern-day homage to Anton Checkov's works, we find that the old adage is true: family - you can't live with them, and you can't live without them.
Kevin Taylor (Orland Park) makes his directorial debut, and said, "I chose to direct Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, not because the title was easy to remember, but because it spoke to me in many ways. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more, I cried some more, and then I laughed so hard I nearly popped a blood vessel in my eye. And when I was done reading the script, I felt. I just sat in my chair and felt. I love when that happens."
The play features Ken Kaden (Naperville) as Vanya, Barbara Barrows (Batavia) as Sonia, Jackie Meara (Glen Ellyn) as Masha, Brian Bianchi (Palatine) as Spike, Holly Van Horn (Carol Stream) as Cassandra, and Angela Aiello (Carol Stream) as Nina.
Ken Kaden said of Vanya, "His strengths are his sense of humor, and his basic decency as a human being. He is kind, loving and generous. He is bright, creative, and he is a peace keeper in the family. His weaknesses include his fears and his adversity to change which have led to his feelings of helplessness in his own life and in the world." The timeless themes of Vanya encapsulate themes that speak to all - family dynamics, regret, pursuing dreams, living in the present.
The production team is headed by producer and Village Theatre Guild Founding Member Sue Keenan (Glen Ellyn), business manager Sue Benner (Wheaton), and stage-managed by Lisa Dolnics (Naperville). Debi Gits-Joseph and Andy Joseph (Wheaton) designed and decorated the wonderful set.
Evening performances Friday and Saturday are at 8 p.m. on May 20-21 and 27-28, June 3-4 and 10-11, with matinees at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday May 28-29, and June 4-5. Tickets are $18. The Village Theatre Guild is located in a historic old schoolhouse near the northwest corner of Park Blvd. and Butterfield Rd. in Glen Ellyn. For reservations call 630-469-8230 or visit the VTG website at www.villagetheatreguild.org.