By Pamela Zero, Special to the Ojai Valley News
Originally scheduled for 2020, Ojai Art Center Theater’s production of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” finally opened last weekend.
It was worth the wait.
The play, written by Christopher Durang, balances broad comedy against the daily routines of normal life. The first scene opens with a middle-aged brother and sister quarreling over trivial things. They’re worn thin by years of living with each other in the isolated house they’ve inherited.
As I watched Vanya, played by Peter Schreiner, and Sasha, played by Laurie Walters, I understood their frustration, and when Sasha exploded into fury over nearly nothing, I felt myself nodding my head. Part of the connection was the brilliant script itself, and part was the performances. Schreiner’s Vanya is a study in nuances, small pauses and hesitations balanced against baffled fury, providing insight to Vanya with a light touch.
Initially, I perceived Walters’ Sasha as a simple, bubbling cauldron of rage. But as the play progressed, Walters deftly wove Sasha into a compelling, dynamic character, without losing the realism that connected me to her in the first place.
Keeping the play comedic is the flamboyant housekeeper Cassandra, played by Cynthia Killion. An audience favorite, Killion’s Cassandra is delightful.
Into this tempestuous mix comes Masha, the famous movie star sister, and her paramour, Spike. They have plans to attend a party in the area and invite the others to come along. Masha, played by Tracey Williams, is egocentric, shallow, insecure – all the things one would expect from a prima-donna. Williams adds in a bit of over-the-top gestures, manipulating her body to stress the ridiculousness of her character, at the same time hinting at Masha’s vulnerability. It was quite effective, and within moments of her arrival on stage I both disliked and was fascinated by Masha.
Balancing out the character of Masha was Spike, played by James James. His relaxed portrayal of a quintessential boy toy is effective, firmly establishing Spike’s indifferent enjoyment of life. Add in the neighbor’s niece, the ingenue Nina, well played by Beltane Howden in her first on-stage role, and the character roster is complete.
Technically, there were a few bumps with the sound cues, but the actors glided through them, bolstered by the immersive wrap-around, two story set by Bianca Rice. The consistent, compelling forward motion of the play can be credited to Taylor Kasch, the director of the play, along with the multi-layered evolution of the characters. It’s wonderful to have him back at Ojai ACT.
The characters in the play were quite familiar. Bewildered Vanya, disconnected from the present world; bitter Sonia, mourning the life she never got to live; Masha, the one that made it big; Spike, the worldly yet still ignorant love interest; Nina the ingenue; Cassandra the oracle. But as each character unfolds, they bring to light tragedies and triumphs that feel relevant, that resonate with modern life.
The play runs Friday and Saturday nights with Sunday matinees now through February 13. Tickets available online at OjaiACT.org.