Chuckling With Chekhov
new play at CVTG pokes fun at Russian playwright’s themes
Tom Giffey, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
Believe it or not, Anton Chekhov – the bespectacled, tubercular Russian writer of short stories and plays whose characters suffered, loved in vain, and frequently died – was a humorist. No, really.
“If you woke Chekhov up from his grave, he would say he wrote comedies,” says Arthur Grothe, who teaches in the music and theater department at UW-Eau Claire. “I think there is a dark humor in his plays.”
This dark humor, mixed with some absurdity and transplanted to contemporary America, is at the heart of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Grothe is directing the Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild’s production of the play Feb. 11-13 and 18-20 at The Grand Theatre. The Christopher Durang-penned play won a Tony for Best Play in 2013, and its original Broadway cast included the likes of Sigourney Weaver and David Hyde Pierce.
“If you woke Chekhov up from his grave, he would say he wrote comedies.” – director Arthur Grothe on the themes of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
“I think (Durang) did a nice job of capturing the essence of Chekhov’s humor, while keeping it light-hearted,” Grothe says of the playwright. In other words, don’t expect hangings, duels, or dying peasants in this one. Instead, the play focuses on three middle-aged siblings, all of whom share their names with Chekhov characters (their late parents were theater professors). Vanya (Keith Lorasch) and Sonia (Barbara Goings) still live in the family home (which – Chekhov alert! – has a cherry orchard) and are supported by their fading movie -star sister, Masha (Molly Barnes). After the recently divorced Masha comes for a visit with her scantily clad boy-toy, Spike (Warren Stephens), hilarity ensues – as does a Snow White-themed costume party and the potential selling of the ancestral home (there goes the Chekhov theme again).
Grothe is no stranger to Chekhov; in fact, he directed UW-Eau Claire’s production of Three Sisters last spring. Vanya and Sonia marks the first time he has directed at CVTG, which he says presents its own opportunities and challenges. Unlike college students, the community theater actors are age-appropriate to their roles and carry with them broader life experiences to draw upon. On the flipside, the actors’ schedules are more filled with life, work, and family obligations than their college counterparts.
Vanya and Sonia may be a bit riskier than many of the plays produced by CVTG – both because of its contemporary nature and its bawdy language – but Grothe says the outlandish humor and well-drawn characters will make it enjoyable for adult audiences. “I think that the characters are all very relatable to people you know,” he says. “The situations are also very relatable to the audience. It’s a chance to escape and enjoy the struggle of others a little bit. … And if you are at all familiar with Chekhov, it’s a great send-up of his plays.”
The Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild presents Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike • Feb. 11-13 and Feb. 18-20, 7:30pm; Feb. 14 and 21, 1:30pm • The Grand Theatre, 102 W. Grand Ave., Eau Claire • $22 adults, $20 seniors, $10 students/military • (715) 832-7529 • cvtg.org
