VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE Opens Tonight at Mendocino Theatre

Opening tonight, June 11th, the Mendocino Theatre Company presents Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a smart, eccentric comedy. The play, written by popular playwright Christopher Durang, is directed by visiting New York based director Stephanie C. Cunningham.

In this high octane absurdist farce, aging B-movie star Masha visits her siblings: Sonia, a self pitying orphan, and Vanya, her sardonic yet contemplative brother. The siblings, deliberately named for Chekhov characters, must quickly contend with a weekend of insanity when Masha's boy-toy Spike, starry- eyed ingénue Nina, and Cassandra (a clairvoyant voodoo-wielding cleaning lady), are thrown into the mix.

Written by the master of absurdist comedy, this wild, off-the-wall farce was the most performed play in America in 2014 according to American Theatre Magazine. Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best New Play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is an uproariously funny treat for anyone who loves to laugh.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is performed by Mendocino Theatre Company comedic favorites Pamela W. Allen, Steven Jordan, Maureen Martin, Ricci Dedola, Brook Scott, and Maya deLoche. Given national response to this play and new seating arrangements due to the recent visibility improvement remodel, patrons are highly encouraged to reserve tickets in advance.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike plays at the Mendocino Theatre Company at 45200 Little Lake St. in Mendocino June 11th through July 19th, Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. on selected Sundays. For tickets or more information, contact the Mendocino Theatre Company Box Office at 707-937-4477, or go to mendocinotheatre.org.

Pictured: Brook Scott as Spike and Pamela W. Allen as Masha in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.