In Starkville Community Theatre’s production of the comedy “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” long-repressed sibling resentments bubble up in a weekend filled with voodoo dolls, costume parties and unexpected romance. Performances this week are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. each night, plus a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday, at the Playhouse on Main, at 108 E. Main St. in downtown Starkville.
“Starkville Community Theatre is excited to present the Mississippi premiere of Christopher Durang’s Tony Award-winning play,” said director Pattye Archer. “A touching comedy about three siblings coping with change and each other, the show is for adult audiences.”
Adult siblings Vanya (Kris Lee) and Sonia (Madeline Golden) reside in their family home in rural Pennsylvania, mourning their lost dreams and missed opportunities. Their fortune-telling maid Cassandra (Kathi Hester) warns them and young neighbor Nina (Beth Accardy) of impending danger. When their movie star sister Masha (Krista Vowell) arrives with young boy-toy Spike (Graeme Buchanan), the family dynamic sprouts exposed nerves.
The show is full of laughs, a few tears, crazy costumes, a play within the play, long rants and a young man who does not mind taking his shirt off, Archer said.
“These characters are so much fun to spend an evening with, and the six actors portraying them are truly amazing. I have loved every minute working on this show and working with everyone involved.”
Kathi Hester portrays Cassandra, the sassy, soothsaying cleaning woman. Her visions may not necessarily be clear, but there is always a nugget of truth in them.
“Cassandra is in tune with her own intuition,” said Hester. The play is hilarious, she added.
“But it hits close to home. In families, we don’t typically listen to each other like we should, which is the basis of so many misunderstandings,” she said. “This is a sibling comedy, a comedy of how different we all are, even though we have the same parents.”
Undertaking a role in community theater is a commitment.
“It’s a commitment of pure love,” Hester emphasized. “You either like pretending to be someone else on stage or you don’t, and all the cast members share this same excitement and passion for the story.”
How to go
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students. Seating is limited; some performances are already sold out. To reserve tickets, contact the SCT box office at 662-323-6855 and leave a message; your call will be returned.
“It’s really an honor to be the first theater in Mississippi to present this funny, heart-warming show. You really don’t want to miss it,” Archer said. “We hope people will come and enjoy themselves as much as we have enjoyed ourselves (rehearsing) these past three months.”
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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