– By Cate Marquis –
Why can’t we have more plays like the St. Louis Actors Studio’s excellent “Uncle Vanya” on local stages? Beautifully acted, skillfully staged, this Neil LaBute adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” is a pure delight – insightful, funny, dramatic and full of commentary on human feelings, life and its inequities. Although set on a rural Russian estate in the late 19th century, its tale of human longing, regrets, lost opportunities and family dynamics still speaks clearly today, with desperately hanging on a major theme.
Uncle Vanya (John Pierson) and his niece Sonya (Bryn McLaughlin) run the modest country estate that belonged to Sonya’s late mother and her widowed father Professor Serebryakov (Greg Johnston). Serebryakov has spent his life as an academic and writer, living in town and supported financially by the estate his former brother-in-law Vanya helps run. But the quiet routines of the country home have been upended by the arrival of the now-retired Professor and his beautiful young second wife Yelena (Jennelle Gilreath Owens). The professor and his young wife have come to the country home not just to visit this time but to live, since losing his academic salary means he can no longer afford to live in town.
When the play opens, Dr. Astrov (Michael James Reed), the 30ish local country doctor, has been called to the estate to treat the ailing professor. As he waits for the patient, Astrov chats with Maria (Jan Meyer), called Nana, the family’s warm-hearted old servant. They are joined by Vanya, disgruntled after awakening from a nap, and Telegin (Michael Musgrave-Perkins), a family friend who once had his own little estate but now works and lives here. When the professor, his young wife, and grown daughter Sonya come in from a walk, they are then joined by Marina (Eleanor Mullin), Vanya’s mother and the professor’s former mother-in-law, and the cast is complete.
Vanya complains bitterly about how the presence of his former brother-in-law, the professor, and his beautiful wife have disrupted normal life on the estate. Yet his mother, Marina (Eleanor Mullin), still dotes on her former son-in-law, and considers him a genius, helping him with his papers and doing research for him. Everything seems to revolve around “the great man,” meaning nothing else gets done, Vanya complains. The doctor, Astrov, is irritated at being called from his own estate, 20 miles away, to attend a sick Serebryakov, only to find him up and walking the estate as if nothing is wrong. Yelena, the beautiful young second wife, explains her husband was very sick when they sent for the doctor, but has since recovered. His ailments come and go.
Ennui, despair, and frustration grip the major characters of this play, each with their own demons to battle. Vanya, sharp-tongued and cynical, seethes with resentment over lost opportunities in his own life, as all the attention and resources went to his sister’s husband. After ten years of country practice, the doctor is disenchanted with his career, often appalled by some of the injuries from the nearby factory but which he is called on to treat. Astrov often drinks to cope with his despair, while he is increasingly drawn to tending and planting the forests on his estate, work he finds more fascinating and rewarding.
Unrequited love is among the frustrations that these characters suffer. Vanya is in love with Yelena, who is faithful to her husband, and Astrov increasingly falls under her spell as well. Sonya, considered plain, is secretly in love with the doctor but he pays her little attention, as she is not a beauty like Yelena. While Sonya, smart, hard-working and gentle, secretly struggles with her feelings for the doctor, she also battles the frustration of generally being overlooked.
The cast is wonderful, both as an ensemble and individually. The actors convey all the layers of the characters, their individual feelings and philosophical angst, with brilliance and clarity, while tossing in just the right moments of sarcastic humor to spice up scenes. Direction by Annamarie Pileggi, Associate Artistic Director of the St. Louis Actors Studio, is excellent. Neil LaBute’s adaption does not appear to significantly depart from Chekhov’s original but perhaps adds a little extra bite while updating language a bit for modern audiences. The St. Louis Actors Studio is also the home to an annual LaBute play festival, so it is very appropriate to have an adaption from the playwright for Chekhov’s play here.
Although the Gaslight Theater is small, and the stage is as well, the company made good uses of the space for the play. The stage is filled with a nice built set, with tables, chairs and other props added, moved or removed for different scenes, with minimal time spent but with good effect.
This production of “Uncle Vanya” was such a treat, with vibrant acting, meaty food-for-thought and a timeless human tale of life’s frustrations that spans the decades and miles. The St. Louis Actors Studio’s “Uncle Vanya” is what an evening at the theater should be.
The St. Louis Actors Studio production of “Uncle Vanya” is on stage at the Gaslight Theater through March 5.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
© Cate Marquis
