Review: VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE. at City Theatre Of Independence

Now running at the City Theater of Independence is the 2013 Tony winning comedy "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" by Christopher Durang. Based loosely on charcters and the works of Anton Checkhov, you don't have to be familiar with the Russian writer to get all the jokes. Well, you might need to know a little bit to get all the in-jokes, but the New York critics gave this show a resounding seal of approval.

This version, directed by Gregory Chafin, takes us to the family home of a theatrical educator family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The founders of the feast (the parents) have passed away. Two of three siblings have devoted their lives to addressing the needs of their parents. Vanya (Nathan Gwartney) and Sonia (Jennifer Femiano) are unemployed, middle aged and comically tormented. Vanya is gay and Sonia is adopted. There is disagreement whether a small grove of trees constitutes an "orchard" (one of the in-jokes).

The third sibling, Masha (Becca Shaw Stabno), is a slightly over the hill movie star. She actually owns the family home and has provided for the upkeep of her parents, brother and sister. Masha has come home to attend a costume party at the home of an influential family friend and dragged along her current boy toy Spike (Matthew McDowell). Spike is fond of showing off his cut physique. Masha has just emerged from her fifth marriage.

Probably because of money problems, Masha announces that she intends to sell the family home. Predictably, this announcement exposes submerged sibling disharmony and hidden insecurities from all involved.

So far the show has all the requisite elements of a Chekhovian drama, but the host of the costume party has insisted that all invitees attend dressed as characters from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This makes the story take a turn towards the wacky. Another dimension appears with the addition of the loyal family retainer Cassandra (Wendy Buchheit) who evidently harbors a belief in voodoo.

The resolution of this family mash-up is left up to the audience. Performances continue Performance Dates: June 9 -11. Tickets are available online at www.citytheatreofindependence.org or by telephone at (816)325-7367

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