Uncle Vanya Extends At Apollinaire Theatre Company

Apollinaire Theatre Company presents Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov- A Tragicomedy adapted by Craig Lucas.

Uncle Vanya's four scenes will each be staged in a distinct space in the theater, with the audience moving to a new location as the action moves. Seating will be limited to 30 guests per performance to accommodate the intimate staging. Apollinaire Theatre Company is known for producing "environmentally" staged outdoor summer theater, most recently presenting Cyrano de Bergerac in 5 locations in Mary O'Malley Park. Uncle Vanya is our first environmentally staged indoor production, taking advantage of the natural architecture of the Chelsea Theatre Works.

Uncle Vanya stars John Kuntz. An actor, playwright and solo performer, Kuntz is the winner of numerous Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards. He a founding company member of The Actors Shakespeare Project where he has appeared in numerous productions. NY credits include The Bad Seed (Ohio Theatre), Jump/Rope (Urban Stages), and his one-person shows Starfuckers (Ohio Theatre and NY Fringe) and Freaks! (Solo Arts Group). Recent Boston credits include productions with The American Repertory Theatre, The Nora Theatre Company, New Repertory Theatre, The Huntington Theatre Company, and three seasons with Commonwealth Shakespeare.

This also marks the return of Kevin Fennessy (Telegin) to the stage after a 17 year hiatus. An actor and award-winning theater director, he is also known for his company, Kevin Fennessy Casting, whose credits included the local and/or extras casting for numerous features including The Perfect Storm. As Artistic Director of Raven Theatrical, he directed the Boston premieres of three Charles Busch hits including Psycho Beach Party, as well as Albee's The Zoo Story with John Kuntz as Jerry. In 1997, Raven Theatrical won the Elliot Norton Award for Best Fringe Theater, as presenters of a double bill of John Kuntz's Freaks! and Paula Plum's Plum Pudding.

About the show: On a remote, no longer grand country estate, the household is in disarray. The celebrated Professor Serebriakov and his stunning, much younger second wife Elena have returned, not just for the summer but to stay. Serebriakov's daughter Sonya and her Uncle Vanya have devoted their lives to sustain the estate so the professor could concentrate on loftier pursuits in the city. Now work and sleep are interrupted, meals happen when the Professor is in the mood, and Vanya wakes to the realization that the Professor's work is a sham. Disillusioned with his former idol, Vanya feels cheated by life, and to top it off, he is hopelessly in love with the professor's wife. Sonya is also hopelessly in love, with the charismatic doctor Astrov. His increasingly frequent visits, inspired by the force of Elena's attraction, only fuel the chaos, primed to ignite when the Professor reveals a shocking plan.

Uncle Vanya's four scenes will each be staged in a distinct space in the theater.
Seating limited to 30 per performance.
Performances of the Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov are December 29, 2011 - January 22, 2012
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00, Sundays at 3:00
Performances are at the Chelsea Theatre Works, 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea.
Tickets are $30
Tickets can be purchased by calling (617) 887-2336 or on-line at www.apollinairetheatre.com
Information and directions at www.apollinairetheatre.com
Performances will be followed by a Reception with the actors in the Gallery.
December 29, 2011-January 15, 2012
Thursday-Saturday at 8:00, Sunday at 3:00
Chelsea Theatre Works, 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea.
(617) 887-2336 • www.apollinairetheatre.com

Apollinaire Theatre Company stages passionate plays at their elegantly restored theater in the Chelsea Theatre Works, as well as New England's only bilingual free summer theater in the park. Less than five miles from downtown Boston, our historic building is at the center of the burgeoning Chelsea arts community. Recent productions include Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, The Wedding on the Eiffel Tower by Jean Cocteau, dark play or stories for boys by Carlos Murillo, The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson, Arabian Night by Roland Schimmelpfennig and East of Berlin by Hannah Moscovitch.