Uncle Vanya
By Anton Chekhov
Adapted and directed by Stanley Spenger
April 18 through May 17, 2008
A sour old professor. His beautiful young wife. A doctor fooling himself that he loves the young wife. A caretaker who loves (surprise) the young wife. A daughter who loves the doctor. Mix in a pistol, the Russian countryside and you have a play that is Chekhovian - and if you are asking "What is Chekhovian," then you need to see "Uncle Vanya."
It's a comedy and a tragedy. It's human beings locked into an existence and their struggle to find some meaning from their lives. It's the beauty of words and the specific effect each word has on the listener. It's, finally and thankfully, Chekhovian.
The play portrays the visit of an elderly Professor and his glamorous, much younger second wife, Elena, to the rural estate that supports their urban lifestyle. Two friends, Vanya, brother of the Professor's late first wife, who has long managed the estate, and Astrov, the local Doctor, both fall under Elena's spell, while bemoaning the ennui of their provincial existence.
Sonya, the Professor's daughter by his first wife, who has worked with Vanya to keep the estate going, meanwhile suffers from the awareness of her own lack of beauty and from her unrequited feelings for Dr. Astrov. Matters are brought to a crisis when the Professor announces his intention to sell the estate, Vanya and Sonya's home and raison d'être, with a view to investing the proceeds to achieve a higher income for himself and his wife.
CAST
Scott Alexander Ayres
Maureen Coyne
Jose Garcia
Martha Luehrmann
Sarah Meyeroff
Aaron Murphy
Jennifer Rice
Jerome Solberg
Stanley Spenger
PRODUCTION
Alan Barkan ..................................................... Assistant Director, Sound Design
Eric Carlson ............................................................. Assistant Director, Publicity
Jose Garcia ...................................................................................Stage Manager
Shu Ping Guan .............................................................. Lobby Design, Graphics
Bob Gudmundsson .................................................................... Set Construction
Mark Keating ..................................................................... Light/Sound Operator
Jodi Maxwell ................................................................................. Makeup Artist
Karen Oakley ...................................................................................Set Assistant
Rose Anne Raphael ...............................................................Set Designer, Props
Alecks Rundel ......................................................................... Lighting Designer
Jerome Solberg .....................................................................................Producer
Helen Slomowitz ................................................................................Costumes
Lauren Straub .................................................................... Light/Sound Operator
