Don’t miss your last chance to see Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike

REVIEW

Housekeeper Cassandra adds spark to the unhappy lives of Sonia and Vanya

MILT THOMAS

You only have a few days to see a funny, dysfunctional family feud at the Riverside Theatre’s Waxlax Stage. The Tony Award-winning play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, has had audiences laughing for over a week. Although it sounds almost like something from Anton Chekhov (except for the Spike), his influence cannot be denied. Character names and themes are classic Chekhov elements but the story is definitely modern day.

Vanya and Sonia are an unhappy middle-aged couple, constantly arguing like old married folks until the audience realizes they are actually brother and sister (she’s adopted and he’s gay). They have cared for their Alzheimer-afflicted parents for years in the old family home and now that they have died, Vanya and Sonia contemplate a sad and lonely future. With no money or prospects they are stunned when their sister, Masha, who has supported the household financially all these years, comes to visit and announces she is selling the family home. Masha mourns in the twilight of her Hollywood career, and is accompanied by Spike, a young, aspiring actor of limited IQ whose performance skills are clearly limited to the bedroom.

There are two other characters in this play and one of them, Cassandra, is the couple’s long time housekeeper with a flair for bombast and possibly some limited psychic powers. She plays for laughs, which is a welcome relief in the gloomy household. Nina, the cute niece of a neighbor, rounds out the cast and adds an element of youthful hope to the ensemble.

Masha is played convincingly by Stacey Logan, who happens to live right here in Vero Beach. Warren Kelley, in the role of Vanya, might be recognizable to some in the audience because of his extensive career on stage and in television commercials. The cast as a whole works to make this an enjoyable outing, but hurry up and buy your tickets because the last performance is this coming Sunday. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at http://www.riversidetheatre.com.