Through April 26, 2015
1407
Euclid Avenue, 216-241-6000.
Imagine
hearing the words of 19th century Russian playwright Anton Chekhov –
a man who proclaimed that his work was meant to say to an audience “Have a look at yourselves and see how bad and dreary your
lives are!” – but with a laugh track.
Roy Berko
VANYA
AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE is a well-crafted play
filled with comedy and tenderness.
It well deserved its Tony Award.
Though the CPH production does not live up to the Broadway production,
some fine performances overcome some questionable directorial decisions in
actor selection and character development, and make this a positive, but not
great theatrical experience.
Howard Gollop
Sometimes, the best way to deal with tragic figures is to just, well, laugh at them.
It’s a notion Cleveland Play House proves nightly through April 26 at Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre, housing Christopher Durang’s hit Broadway farce, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.” ... In addition to characters, lots of Chekhovian themes are gleefully ground up and remixed in Durang’s deceptively traditional drawing-room melange.
Mark Horning
Although based on Chekhov characters and situations,
no prior knowledge of the famous playwright is needed to enjoy this play. It is simply a couple of hours of unabashed
humor that will delight and make you feel good about life in general. Each and every actor shines at some point and
the comic bar is jumped over time and time again. Take your best friend to see this and enjoy a
hearty laugh or two.
To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's blog here.
Christine Howey
As directed by Bruce Jordan, Vanya (and etc.) leaves us with lots of slickly manufactured, TV sitcom laughs, but little of the tragic-comic relevance that Chekhov mastered.
To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's blog Rave and Pan
Art Thomas
The handpicked cast are spot on the eccentric characters they play and take full opportunity of their solo moments to shine in this piece which is actually far more audience accessible than many of Durang's other oddball plays.
Click here to read the complete review at WestLife
