Review: VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE by The Studio Players

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE by Christopher Durang, presented by The Studio Players, tells the story of a brother, Vanya, and his adopted sister, Sonia, as they receive an unexpected visit from their other sister, Masha, and her young, new boyfriend, Spike.

Paula Keenan played Sonia, and I thoroughly enjoyed her portrayal of the character. The funniest moments of the show came when she would make very blunt--but hilarious--statements, and I liked following her journey through the end of the show. She and Vanya (Jay Terzis) had a great sibling dynamic, and their interactions were very entertaining. I also really liked Terry Libby's performance as Cassandra, their somewhat-psychic cleaning lady. She often would burst into random warnings about people or events, and it made for many funny moments.

This show was very lighthearted and fun, but it also had some serious moments regarding family, respect, and loyalty, and those lessons are incredibly important. Although some aspects of the plot seemed a bit misplaced and felt awkward to me, I did enjoy seeing these characters learn from each other and grow as they realize what is most important to them.

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, presented by The Studio Players, is playing now through March 24. All performances take place at the Joan Jenks Auditorium, located in the Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples, Florida, 34116. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit thestudioplayers.org or call (239) 398-9192.