Beware Hootie Pie!

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike – BrightSide Theatre

Christopher Durang, known for his hilarious absurdist comedies, such as “Beyond Therapy” and “An Actor’s Nightmare”, won both the 2013 Drama Desk and the Tony Awards for this, his most recent work. Durang’s riff on the characters and themes of Anton Chekhov sparkles with sunshine and his signature, unexpected humor, while still exploring some of the Russian playwright’s darker themes. This play is not, however, as the playwright insists, a parody of Chekhov’s comedies. Christopher Durang’s brilliant comedy is a gift to the audience on its own term.

The comedy stars a trio of middle-aged siblings, all suffering from their own version of self-doubt and self-pity. These often hilarious, sometimes sympathetic characters, whose theatre-minded parents named them after characters from Chekhov’s plays, have come to realize that “the road not taken” is becoming less and less available to them. Setting his contemporary play in a charming country house in rural Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Durang also borrows the kind of locale Chekhov often used in his works, complete with an abbreviated cherry orchard.
 

Vanya and his adopted sister Sonia have devoted their lives to caring for their aging mother and father. Now, following their parents’ deaths, the two are all alone in the country house. The siblings have settled into a daily routine that’s interrupted only by the weekly arrival of Cassandra, their eccentric cleaning lady. Every so often Masha, the siblings’ famous movie star sister, also drops by to say hello, pay the bills and quarrel with them. Otherwise Vanya and Sonia’s daily routine consists of modest meals and coffee in the breakfast room, while waiting for the blue heron to visit the pond outside their window. 

On this particular summer day, the somewhat pessimistic pair are having their morning coffee when Cassandra bursts into the house. It’s not her usual cleaning day but, like her Greek namesake, she has had a confusing premonition of disaster she wants to share. She shrieks, “Beware Hootie Pie!” When asked what that means, she has no idea; it’s just something, or someone, that she thinks Vanya and Sonia should try to avoid. 

Then Masha unexpectedly descends upon their home for a weekend visit, this time with her new, vain and hunky boy toy in tow. She announces that she, sexy Spike and her siblings have all been invited to a costume party at one of the neighboring homes. Masha’s even brought costumes for everyone, revolving around Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Nina (another Chekhovian character reference), the pretty, young niece of their reclusive neighbor, unexpectedly shows up at the house. Suddenly Vanya and Sonia’s mundane existence is turned completely upside-down.

Like Chekhov’s plays, Christopher Durang’s comedy is about the everyday life of a family. An unexpected event jars them out of their complacency and changes take place, ultimately spiraling everyone toward a new reality. In this comedy, however, there are a lot more laughs. Durang offers a satisfying, even hopeful and happier conclusion than Chekhov provides in his plays. Beautifully costumed by Shana Hall and staged on Ivy Thomas’ sparsely appointed set, the story plays out on a simple scenic design that suggests the two-story Bucks County home.

Jeffrey Cass has directed yet another strong production for BrightSide Theatre. He’s carefully guided his six actors, leading each of them through his individual character development and discoveries, always focusing on relationships and new revelations. Cass begins his production with the morning solitude that, unexpectedly and humorously, erupts over a cup of  coffee in the sunroom. He continues building the pace of his production, raising the stakes through the cleaning lady’s wild predictions, a testy familial visit and on to a tense social event that ultimately sparks fresh hopes and reveals some new information.

The women are the real stars of this production. Lovely and talented Mary Nigohosian, so wonderful in Raven Theatre’s “Suddenly Last Summer,” and absolutely hilarious in BrightSide’s production of “Rumors,” is terrific as Masha. Playing this stylish, self-absorbed film actress who, despite five failed marriages, only wants to be loved. Her personal journey toward self-discovery seems like an easy path for this gifted actress. Ms. Nigohosian generally resists the impulse to overplay her hand, making Masha both exquisite and easily accessible to the audience, despite her fame as a movie star. Masha’s obsession with not wanting to play older film roles and being liked by her public, while still being the steadfast financial head of the family, is a tricky balancing act. But Mary Nigohosian plays this role with a comfortable naturalness that, especially in the final scene, sheds light on what it means to be a celebrity and a kind human being.

BrightSide newcomer Patty Kirin returns to the stage, after a 25-year absence. This talented actress, who continually impresses throughout this production, emerges as the star of this show. Ms. Kirin leaves it all on the stage as Sonia, the sad, bi-polar adopted sister, whose life, since the death of her adopted parents, has been monotonous, love-starved and lacking in purpose. Sonia’s peculiar mood swings, contrasted by her depressing, mournful laments, are both funny and profound. So often we see a look in her eyes that tells us that she’s entered her own reality; then, just as suddenly, we observe a quiet resolve that signals her return to the world around her. The audience sympathizes with this woman who, like everyone, simply wants love and appreciation. One of the highlights of Ms. Kirin’s excellent performance is a touching telephone monologue, a heartbreaking conversation eliciting well-deserved applause as the scene ends. In it, Ms. Kirin skillfully conveys every possible emotion in just a few moments. And when Ms. Kirin descends the stairs, dressed for her first party in 20 years, dazzling in a gold-sequined gown and tiara, the audience goes wild. Like Eliza Doolittle, Sonia has become a beautiful butterfly emerging from her cocoon.

Lisa Braatz portrays the wacky, larger-than-life cleaning lady, Cassandra, is hilarious. Using her bombastic personality and booming voice to its full potential, Ms. Braatz makes this comical, clairvoyant character, who lacks the ability to convey her pronouncements in a coherent manner, another standout of this production. As Nina, the adoring ingenue from next door, Alecia Pagnotta is fresh and delightful in her BrightSide debut. The role doesn’t offer the young actress a great deal to do, since Durang created Nina merely as a device to get Spike all worked up and make Masha jealous. All Nina gets to do is be starstruck by Masha, somewhat excited by the sexy stud and comfortable with Sonia and Vanya’s warm, parental affection. Hopefully this youthful actress will be able to show more of her talent in the near future.

Stephen Smith is charming and humorous as Vanya, the head of this dysfunctional household. A caring, responsible and sensible middle-aged man, he’s been keeping his gay inclinations under wrap for years. Vanya is the glue that holds everyone together. He’s best played as a soft-spoken, rational and likably empathetic gentleman. However, from the beginning of the play, Mr. Smith tends to push too hard. Later in the play the character launches into a ten-minute tirade, directed at the multitasking Spike, lamenting the demise of our comfortable old way of life and the hostile takeover of the computer generation. This monologue, in order for it to work, needs to start slowly and gradually build to a funny, frenzied conclusion. Instead, Mr. Smith begins at too high of an energy level and then has nowhere to go. His sudden outburst, directed toward the clueless Millennial should come as a complete surprise; but instead, much of this actor’s performance, perhaps due to opening night jitters, is too forced during every scene. 

Brandon Torres, another new actor making his BrightSide debut, is a visual and verbal treat in this production. As Spike, Mr. Torres is funny as the young airhead TV actor who loves himself more than anyone else. His penchant for showing off his body and flirting with everyone around him is highly comical. This kid has no time or consideration for anyone around him, except what they’re able to do to further his career. Continually shedding his clothes, the buff Mr. Torres flexes his pecs and shows off his underwear-clad booty at the drop of a hat. Mr. Torres needs to project more and be careful of swallowing his words. But, from his self-centered existence, Spike offers a lot of laughs in this production.

Christopher Durang’s Tony Award-winning play is a perfect entertainment for a Spring evening. While not as absurd as his earlier works, this play is the product of an older, wiser, more mellow playwright, for whom life continues to inspire ideas worth sharing. It’s lighthearted, often laugh-out-loud funny, and brims with bizarre characters and unexpected humor. In spite of this, Jeffrey Cass’ production speaks to the audience about aging, love, global warming and the alarming way technology has taken over our lives. Durang’s play rolls with the continual ebb and flow of life’s drama and comedy. And while this isn’t exactly Chekhov, its exploration of the same themes, albeit with a contemporary hand, is just as rewarding.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented March 8-24 by BrightSide Theatre, at Meiley-Swallow Hall of North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth, Naperville, IL.

Tickets are available by calling 630-447-8497 or by going to www.brightsidetheatre.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com