MANSFIELD — Modern life gets the best of the frazzled siblings in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” opening March 9 at the Mansfield Playhouse.
Christopher Durang’s award-winning play (Tony Award for Best New Play in 2013) follows the fortunes of Vanya and Sonia, who have stayed home to care for their parents while their movie-star sister Masha has traveled the world making films. When Masha returns to the family’s Bucks County, Pennsylvania, home with her scandalously young boy-toy in tow, tempers flare.
Adding to the chaos is a maid prone to bursting into prophecy at any time and an aspiring young actress looking for inspiration. The comedy is capped by brother Vanya breaking his calm to go on a rant about modern technology and how it’s ruining everything in their lives.
Mansfield actor Jeffery Kilgore will star as the beleaguered Vanya, alongside Lexington’s Renee Rebman as the fuming adopted sister Sonia. Johnna Gustafson from Ashland will play glamorous sister Masha, with Mansfield’s Jacob Lewis making his Playhouse debut as her young flame. Sara Labor, a recent arrival to the area also making her debut, will play the ingénue role of Nina, the aspiring actress. Grayson Antreassian will return to the Playhouse stage as the eccentric housekeeper Cassandra, whose dire warnings go mostly ignored.
“This play tells a story of people who have gotten a little too good at driving each other up the wall,” said director Mark Jordan. “Vanya’s rant near the end of the show is worth the price of admission alone.
“He rages about the distractions of modern technology, our weird culture, violent video games, and how he misses corny but pleasant things like ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’ and shared national moments like the traumatic ending of the movie ‘Old Yeller.’ He basically tells off the modern world.”
Performances of the play, which includes adult language and sexual humor, will take place Friday March 9, Saturday March 10, Friday March 16, and Saturday March 17 at 8 p.m. There will also be a matinee performance on Sunday March 18 at 2:30 p.m. The Mansfield Playhouse box office is open Wednesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. at 419-522-2883. Tickets are also available online at www.MansfieldPlayhouse.com.
