By Angela Dell
An Other Theater Company’s production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike in Provo is a sincere pleasure to experience. The theater company is brand new and it’s clear they worked very hard to make their flagship production an absolutely stellar performance. Their attention to detail and their devotion to theater with Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike shines through in this charming black box theater.
For those unfamiliar with Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, it is a recently written play (2012) that takes Chekov’s plays and puts them in a blender with the present day. It follows Vanya (Brett Merritt) and Sonia (Cathy Ostler), a middle-aged brother and sister duo who are stuck living in the home they grew up in while their sister Masha (Brooke Wilkins), a famous actress, pays for the house so they don’t have to work. Masha brings her much younger boyfriend, Spike (Tyler Fox), to show off to her siblings. Spike hilariously ends up shaking things up for the siblings. They challenge each other in ways that force them to see past regrets, accept certain truths, grow up a little more, and grow closer to each other.
If I were forced to write only one word to describe this production, I would use: Committed. I don’t think there is one actor on that stage that doesn’t sincerely devote themselves to their character. Director Kacey Spadafora has once again gathered a cast of honest and generous people and worked with them to compile the final product that exists. The ensemble is honest and open with each other during each of their performances, which is such a treat to behold when, often in theater, we can see an actor is being selfish and not listening to their scene partner. Spadafora clearly worked hard with his actors to make sure they gave each other the gifts they needed to make a sincere and hilarious performance. His blocking and pacing is flawless and adds interesting levels and layers to the characters and dialogue. He gives his actors room to be the characters they need to be in order to give us this production. Merrit is Vanya. The delivery of his lines is so sincere and realistic, you really do believe he is struggling with the same things Vanya struggles with. He is quick and funny and has impeccable comedic timing. Fox mentioned that each night Merritt delivers a line slightly different and every time it’s still hilarious. Merritt delivers a five-page (eight-minute(!)) monologue but it feels like it flies by. His delivery is flawless and complex and varied enough that the audience wants to know more of how he feels about the way this earth is going. Ostler’s brave, bold choices keep her scene partners’ attention while making the audience feel enthralled with what she’s going to say next. The emotion she feels is relatable and endearing, we’ve all felt as sad and forgotten as Sonia. Wilkins makes Masha easy to hate, and then absolutely easy to love in the end. She reminds us how complex we all are and how loved we are even when we don’t feel lovable. Fox is a great sport playing the brainless Spike. He throws himself into the role of being such a selfish and vain creature, it’s almost hard to watch. We see a bit of ourselves in his vanity and pride and it looks ugly and real. Nina (Kaitlin Lemon) is a direct foil to Spike. Lemon embodies the honesty and sincerity that is Nina. Nina is generous and kind. She builds instead of destroys. Vanya and Sonia are better for knowing her and we are better for watching her. Lemon obviously puts a bit of herself in the role and it’s beautiful and enchanting to watch. Cassandra (Kiersten Zundel) is Vanya and Sonia’s maid who manages to completely dominate the stage whenever she’s on it. She is hilarious. She puts so much physical movement into her character, you can’t help but watch her whenever she’s on stage. Zundel manages to devote herself to her character so much that she miraculously doesn’t break character at all while doing the hilariously eccentric things her character does. She owns the stage and the audience’s attention.
The set design by Madeline Ashton creates the perfect amount of simple chaos to the mood of the play. She gives the characters the feel of kitschy but charming people with enough hanging art and knickknacks to make the house feel like a home. Paige Porter’s lighting design is well-crafted to encompass both simplicity and quality. The lights are well-distributed to bring a comfortable glow and create a very homey atmosphere. Mel Howarth’s costume design perfectly balances out the characters on the stage in a small space. Nina is obviously in light, innocent-looking colors while Vanya and Sonia are often in comfortable neutral colors. That, mixed with Masha’s stark blacks and whites provide a fun balance of wild and comfortable to each of the characters.
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The theater itself is located inside the Provo Towne Centre Mall on the second floor near Dillards. It’s an unconventional theater space, but they organized it well. There is often lots of parking in the parking lot if you park in front of the main entrance between Dillards and JC Penny. Inside the theater, the friendly staff will greet you and allow you to choose your own seat. The seating is a set of padded yellow pews they managed to snag from a gentleman up in Idaho. They are arguably more comfortable than some of the seats I’ve had to sit in during shows, and those seats made it hard to enjoy the shows. Isn’t it easy to enjoy a show when you’re not shifting around in your seat, trying to get comfortable? The space is neat and organized and they clearly worked hard to transform that space from a Radio Shack into the sweet black box theater they have now.
A final note: This show is not for younger audiences. There is language and some adult themes that would not be suitable for younger audiences. It is a wildly entertaining and hilarious show, but for adults that can understand the themes and conversation that is being introduced.
Please come and see Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and keep an eye out for the new and fascinating things that An Other Theater Company is bringing to our humble little Utah Valley. I know I’ll be back for more shows.
An Other Theater Company presents Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang Provo Towne Center Mall 1200 Towne Centre Blvd, Suite 2008, Provo, Utah 84601 September 15-October 14, 2017 Fridays and Saturdays in September, and Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in October 7:30 PM Ticket Price: $15 An Other Theater Facebook Page Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Facebook Event
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