International City Theatre presents a send-up of Chekhov's plays that is so completely hilarious, it doesn't even matter if you think Chekhov is just the name of that Russian guy on Star Trek. Mary Jo DuPrey helms a new production of the deliciously wacky, Tony Award-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang for aJune 10 opening, with two low-priced previews taking place on June 8 and June 9.
A witty mashup of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, The Seagull and The Cherry Orchard, Durang's delightfully off-kilter romp is set in bucolic Bucks County, PA. There, middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia have frittered their lives away in the family farmhouse full of regret, angst and the alarmingly ambiguous prophecies of their addled house cleaner Cassandra. Enter their sister, self-absorbed movie star Masha, with her prized 20-something boy toy Spike, and the stage is set for an absurd weekend of abundant comic twists that pays loving homage to Chekhov's classic themes of loss and longing. The Washington Postcalls it "the 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' of Chekhov." "Durang's script is just brilliant - hilarious, smart and fun," said DuPrey. "One needn't be familiar with Chekhov because the characters are all so rooted in reality. It's about the passing of a slower way of life and a more thoughtful, articulate way of living - a time when people related on a deeper and more personal level than in today's Twitter universe. It reminds us that family is a refuge in our hyper-connected world. It's poignant, optimistic and very, very entertaining."Photo by CaughtintheMoment.com
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