February 19, 20, 16, 27 and March 4, 5, and 6, 7:30 p.m., Grange Stage

— from Doug Bechtel —

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The Actors Theater of Orcas Island announces seven performances of the Tony-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia And Masha And Spike by three-time Obie Award-winning playwright Christopher Durang.

The play opened on Broadway in 2013, received six Tony Award nominations, and won for best play.  Durang was inspired by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s plays The SeagullThree Sisters, and Uncle Vanya, and the comedy is a lovingly funny homage to Chekhov’s themes of heartbreak and hope.

Middle-aged siblings Vanya (Frank Michels) and Sonia (Lisa Spesard) share a home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha (Luann Pamatian), swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike (Chris Dalla Santa). Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra (Lesley Liddle), who can predict the future, and a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina (Adia Dolan), whose youth and prettiness somewhat worries the imperious Masha. Vanya and Sonia And Masha And Spike is directed by Doug Bechtel.

Performances will be at 7:30 pm at the Grange on February 19, 20, 16, 27 and March 4, 5, and 6.  Tickets are $10 and are available at Darvills Book Store and on line at www.orcasactors.com and at the door.  Sexual innuendo and language may make this play unsuitable for younger children.

“Broad comic acting is raised to the level of high art…deliriously funny…a heedless good time.” —NY Times. “…riotous…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.” —NY Post.

“Everyone has a monologue that is nothing short of hilarious. (You’ll find yourself using that word a lot.)…You’ve only spent a weekend with these people, but you might want to spend the rest of your life with Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”—Huffington Post.

For additional information contact Doug Bechtel at 317-5601.