Stage Write

  Humans yearn for what we do not have. It is the trademark of our species. We seem to never be satisfied, always longing for more, better, bigger. Though this play is set a century ago in Russia, it could not be more relevant to our current culture. Three Sisters tells the story of Olga, Masha, and Irina (and to a lesser extent, their brother Andrei). They are trapped in the monotony of country life. There's something so relatable about their constant struggle to get to Moscow. They live dreaming of the glory of the past and longing for the hopeful days of the future. They never embrace the present. Kelsey Brennan is the disenchanted Masha. Her flashes of passion, whether they are caused by love or anger, are beautifully played in contrast to her default attitude of boredom. She is all fire and ice, there is no middle ground. The only person who sees himself as happy is a classic fool. His refrain of contentment is an empty claim, repeated to convince himself tha...

American Players Theatre (APT) is excited to announce its 2017 season, which will run June 10 – October 22, 2017. UP THE HILL THEATRE A Midsummer Night’s Dream By William Shakespeare Directed by John Langs A Flea in Her Ear By Georges Feydeau Adapted by David Frank Translated by Abbot Chrisman Directed by David Frank Cyrano de Bergerac By Edmond Rostand Adapted by James DeVita Directed by James DeVita Cyrano de Bergerac is a fearless Three Sisters By Anton Chekhov Translated by Susan Coyne Directed by William Brown Pericles, Prince of Tyre By William Shakespeare Directed by Eric Tucker TOUCHSTONE THEATRE   The Maids By Jean Genet Translated by Bernard Frechtman Directed by Gigi Buffington The Unexpected Man By Yasmina Reza Translated by Christopher Hampton Directed by Laura Gordon A View from the Bridge By Arthur Miller Directed by Tim Ocel The Creditors By August Strindberg Translated ...

Last week if someone had asked me what Snow White, the Tony awards and Chekhov had in common I would have assumed it was the beginning of a bad joke. Instead, the answer is obviously the Phoenix Theatre’s season opener, Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike. The title is a mouthful, but the play itself is a delight. The show won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play and audiences will have no trouble figuring out why. Witty dialogue, neurotic characters and a bit of absurdity thrown in for good measure make the show odd, but endearing. Playwright Christopher Durang introduces us to a group of middle-aged siblings, two of whom still live in their childhood home after spending years caring for their now deceased parents. The third sibling, Masha, became a self-absorbed movie star. The play takes place over one weekend when Masha decides to visit her sedate siblings, Vanya and Sonia (their professor parents named them all after Chekhov characters). The whirlwind weekend includes a co...