#christopherdurang

Musical Monday date: 4/2/2018

Play: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Book: Christopher Durang

Broadway Run: March 14, 2013 - August 25, 2013

Awards Won: Tony Award for Best Play/Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play/Theatre World Award (Shalita Grant)

Other: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike was also nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (David Hyde Pierce), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Kristine Nielsen), Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Billy Magnussen), Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Shalita Grant), Best Direction of a Play (Nicholas Martin)

Fun Fact: The opening night cast featured David Hyde Pierce (Vanya), Kristine Nielsen (Sonia), Sigourney Weaver (Masha), Billy Magnussen (Spike), Genevieve Angelson (Nina), and Shalita Grant (Cassandra)

This was one of the best accidents I ever made on Broadway. I originally had a ticket to see another show, but ended up with an extra time slot. I walked into the John Golden Theatre on a Saturday afternoon, not knowing what the play was about, got a rush ticket, and the rest is history.

Walter M. Mayes (Vanya) and Patricia Tyler (Sonia) began the show with coffee drinking, lake gazing, and mug throwing. Their well-paced conversation eased the audience into a very different kind of Durang play; this script comes as close to normal, human conversation as Durang has gotten, and the cast, as a whole, nails the job of making these conversations real. Mayes hits all of his levels, from sad and confident to joyous and aroused (especially when Spike is present) with a natural flow and consistent attention to his surrounding actors. The Act Two monologue (one of the best modern monologues for older men) was an acting highlight for Mayes, who let passion and intensity drive the meaning behind licking stamps and the value of not multitasking. Tyler began the show with a palpable drab demeanor that saw some light when she received an unsuspecting telephone call from a gentleman whom she had met at the costume party. As Sonia’s happiness and confidence picked up so did Tyler’s contagious energy. Her performance-within-the-performance was a comedy highlight for Tyler as she donned the demeanor and dialect of Snow White’s Evil Queen as played by Dame Maggie Smith on her way to the Oscars.

The energy that bombarded the stage when Judith Miller (Masha) and Jimmy Mason (Spike) entered the scene was outstanding, creating a perfect dynamic shift from the relaxed nature of Vanya and Sonia. Miller nailed Masha’s selfish traits without ambushing her fellow actors; her sibling chemistry with Mayes was wonderfully apparent, growing steadily during the course of the play. Mason, more than just biceps and a six-pack, brought a fantastic nuance to Spike by making him an endearing man-child who just wants attention and for everyone to like him/cheer him on. Mason found moment after moment to get a laugh while finding a balance between being the center of attention and sharing the laugh wealth with his cast mates.

The non-titular roles featured two extremely talented actresses, Damaris Divito (Cassandra) and Kelsey Erhart (Nina). The role of Cassandra, Vanya and Sonia’s housecleaner, is a demanding one consisting of monologue after monologue in a classical style, often making no sense in the present but having moments of truth in the future. Divito’s delivery of each line was brilliant, balancing comedic facial expressions with a passionate fortune-telling tone. Erhart made for an endearing Nina, a neighbor of Vanya and Sonia. Masha sees her as a threat to her for Spike’s affections, a suspicion that pays off but not in the way the audience thinks. Erhart’s connection to Mayes was a stunning display of subtext driving a deep connection that showed the audience exactly how similar Vanya and Nina are.