Actors Theatre Playhouse will present a staged reading of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the latest work by American playwright Christopher Durang, on two Saturdays: Aug. 18 and Aug. 25. Tickets are $8 and may be reserved at www.Atplayhouse.org or by calling 877-666-1855.
Among other honors, the play won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award in 2013 for Best Play, and it is the most-produced play coast-to-coast for the past two years.
In a news release, ATP sets the scene: “Vanya and Sonia are a pair of middle-aged siblings still sharing their childhood home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who spend their days complaining about the state of their lives. A sudden surprise visit of their slightly younger movie-star sister Masha along with her new boy-toy allows old resentments to flare, eventually leading to threats to sell the family home.”
The show includes a sassy maid, Cassandra, who can predict the future, a lovely-young-aspiring-next-door-neighbor actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries the aging and imperious Masha, and a confusing costume party.
Variety called this play, “Brainy and witty and clever! A hilarious mashup with endlessly inventive comic twists,” while the New York Post wrote that “the show's a ton of fun even if you can't tell your Seagull from your Uncle Vanya. This is the kind of full-on comedy that's sadly rare on Broadway.”
Featured in the cast are Gregory Lesch as Vanya, Wendy Almeida as Sonia, Katrina Spenceman as Masha, Susan O'Hara as Cassandra, Clare Margand as Nina, and Sam Murphy as Spike. The play is directed by Marilyn Tullgren.
Other staged readings on the ATP schedule include Richard Nelson's 2016 election night drama, Women of a Certain Age, originally scheduled in July, now rescheduled for Sept. 8 and 15.