Contra Costa Civic Theatre (CCCT) Presents VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE

Contra Costa Civic Theatre (CCCT) continues its 58th season with Christopher Durang's comic mash-up of the plays of Anton Chekhov, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, directed by Diana Trotter in her CCCT debut. Winner of the Tony, Drama Desk, and New York Drama Critics awards for Best Play, CCCT's production plays April 13 through May 6.

The cast for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike features Paul Araquistain as Vanya, Laurie Strawn as Sonia, Donna Jean Turner as Masha, and Lucas Brandt as Spike. Also in the cast are Vesselina Ivanova as Nina, and Elizabeth Jones as Cassandra; Brandt, Ivanova, and Jones all make their CCCT debut with this production.

The design team is Kuo-Hao Lo (set design), Gillian Eichenberger (costume design), Courtney Johnson (lighting design), Devon LaBelle (props design), and Michael Kelly (sound design).

Chekhov is alive and well in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where adult siblings Vanya and Sonia reside in their old family home, mourning their lost dreams and missed opportunities. When their movie star sister, Masha, arrives unexpectedly with boy toy Spike, the family is launched into a rollicking weekend of one-upmanship, exposed nerves, and a lot of broken mugs. Filled with Durang's signature wit and absurdity, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike blends Chekhov's famous ennui with the modern-day toils and troubles of celebrity, social networking, and age into a laugh-out-loud comedy that will tickle your funny bone and stimulate your mind.

"I lived in New York for 22 years, and in 1996, with my partner John Augustine, I moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania," said playwright Christopher Durang in a recent interview at Huntington Theatre Company. "We live on a little hill, overlooking a pond, and a blue heron does come there. My house, it's a farmhouse, pretty and a little quaint, and it made me think of the Chekhov plays, like The Seagull and Uncle Vanya...Even though I was now the age of Chekhov's older characters, and I lived in a place in the country, I realized that I didn't feel bitter in the way that the Chekhov characters did. But I thought to myself: what if I had only gone away from home briefly, and I hadn't pursued the things that interested me? What if my fictional sister and I had ended up taking care of our parents through a very prolonged illness, and so on. I realized it was a "what if " play. And over the course of my life, when I've gotten down, I've often put on a comedy to help me get through. There's also something about laughter that comes from things that you recognize. For instance, the bickering of the siblings in my play is funny. You could write it so it would be hellish, and that might be good, too - it would be intense, more like Edward Albee or Eugene O'Neill. But I think we need both. Comedies give you pleasure."

"As a long-time fan of both Chekhov and Durang, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the script for V, S, M & S, certain that it would prove to be one of the funniest and smartest plays written in decades," says director Diana Trotter. "I was not disappointed. The mash-up of Chekhov references, character types, and conventions with Durang's trademark comic style makes for an absurdly hilarious evening of theatre. But one need not be familiar with Chekhov to enjoy this sparkling comedy. Durang has always been one of America's funniest playwrights, and with V, S, M & S his powers to make us laugh, touch our hearts and ultimately renew our hope are truly at their height."

DIANA TROTTER (Director) makes her CCCT debut with this production of Vanya, Sonia Masha and Spike. She is the former Chair of Theatre at Whitworth University where her recent productions include Richard III, The Laramie Project, and The Music Man. Currently working as an actor, director, and coach in Seattle, Diana's recent acting credits include Wit (Vivian), Other Desert Cities (Polly), Collected Stories (Ruth), and Fiction (Linda).

Single tickets for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike range from $11 to $30. Performances are Fridays and Saturday nights at 8pm, and Sunday matinees at 2pm. All performances take place at CCCT's intimate and fully accessible theatre in the Flynn building located at 951 Pomona Avenue in El Cerrito. Free parking is provided in the adjoining lot. For more information, visit www.ccct.org or call 510.524.9012.

ABOUT CONTRA COSTA CIVIC THEATRE

Contra Costa Civic Theatre, established in 1959 by Louis and Bettianne Flynn and a group of dedicated volunteers and now under the artistic direction of Marilyn Langbehn, is a non-profit community theatre with its permanent home in El Cerrito, CA. Our mission is to provide affordable, high-quality entertainment to residents throughout the East Bay and provide training in performing arts for children and adults. We are proud to be an independent, self-sufficient organization presenting five Main Stage and thirteen youth productions annually in our intimate two hundred-seat theatre.