Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

This hilarious spoof opens on a weekend in Bucks County Pennsylvania when Masha (Marjorie Paul Shook), a movie star and drama queen, returns to visit the family home where her brother Vanya (Gordon Mackey) and sister Sonia (Rebecca Gleason) live, bemoaning their Chekovian lives. Masha is travelling with her gorgeous but dim – and much younger – lover, Spike, buoyantly played by Spencer Gates. Myra Negron plays Cassandra, the voodoo-loving housekeeper, who like her mythological namesake has the gift of prophecy but no one believes her. Sarah Bella plays Nina, who is the eye candy that attracts Spike, provokes jealousy in Masha and proves to be quite insightful with Vanya. The characters weave themselves into a tangle that leads to a costume party followed by a play within a play that explodes with uproarious results. The New York Times said “Durang leaves us with a message about the importance of family and a reminder that even for the heartsick, laughter is truly the best medicine.”