|
Regional Reviews: Phoenix Uncle Vanya Also see Gil's reviews of Carousel, Cinderella, Love, Sex and the I.R.S., and God's Favorite
Set on Professor Serebryakov's country estate, the plot follows the Professor's visit one summer to the home with his second and much younger wife Yelena. Vanya, the Professor's brother-in-law, and the Professor's daughter Sonya tend to the estate, yet send all of the profits to the Professor and live in poverty. The local Doctor Astrov and Vanya are both in love with Yelena, and Sonya has fallen hard for the Doctor. Over the course of a few months everyone's lives will change, yet none for the better. This is Chekhov, so the characters are in a state of continual misery and despair. Baker's updated adaptation doesn't change any of that, yet provides fast paced action and uses modern dialogue to provide a clearer connection to the characters. Harold Dixon directs a fantastic cast, made up of many Southwest Shakespeare regulars, who provide intense, realistic portrayals of these characters. However, there are a few small things that don't quite work in both the adaptation and this production. The character's names are still the same as in the original piece, and the continual pronunciation of their thick, tongue twisting, and very long Russian names is somewhat at odds with the character's contemporary colloquiums and American accents. Baker still uses some old fashioned names for items like "samovar," which momentarily takes you out of the modern setting. Also, the furniture that is used, which is mostly a mixture of antique pieces, is completely at odds with the modern clothes. Perhaps the mismatched furniture and clothing is intentional to show the sad state of affairs that the estate has fallen into. Fortunately, those are the only quibbles as the direction and cast are quite good. While the piece is mainly an ensemble, it is Vanya and Sonya who are the most impacted by the events of the summer. Jesse James Kamps and Allison Sell are relentless in their portrayals of these two characters who show us the low emotional depths both encounter. Sell is delivering a very well thought out performance with nuanced layers of pain and suffering. Kamps is almost as good, bringing a sheer sense of intensity to the part, with the same careful attention to the character's anguish. However, once or twice during some very emotional moments Kamps nearly crosses over the line into melodrama where his actions are a bit too broad, which doesn't quite seem organic to the character. Randy Messersmith is very good as Astrov, the Doctor, bringing an effective sense of care for others to the role of a man who drinks too much yet is the most reasonable and forward thinking of all of the characters. Astrov completely fails to notice the affection that Sonya has for him. Messersmith manages to portray all of those layers with ease. Jordan Letson superbly portrays Yelena, the bored, restless wife who doesn't seem to care for her much older husband. The relationship she has with her step-daughter Sell is full of nuance and a deep shared connection. Jim Coates makes the Professor a man who basically has no compassion for anyone and he does so in a completely sensible and realistic way. In a smaller role, Pamela Fields is charming as the all-knowing nanny Marina, full of maternal concern. The arrangement of the Farnsworth Studio space has the audience close enough to see even the most subtle expressions on the actors' faces. The setup even has some of the audience seated on couches similar to the ones in the set design, which is an excellent choice that pulls us even further into the action. Dixon's staging is so effective that no one on any side ever feels left out, with the backs of any actor very rarely turned to them for more than a few seconds, though the somewhat continual movements of the actors never seem unrealistic. Daniel Davisson's lighting is stunning, delivering some exceptionally lit nighttime scenes. While the furniture might be slightly at odds with the modern adaptation, the props are quite good, some even humorous—take note of Vanya's "smiley face" coffee cup. Even in a modern adaptation, Uncle Vanya still focuses on a group of unhappy characters. So if you're looking for an uplifting journey, this isn't the play for you. However, for a rich, cathartic experience with deeply flawed, eternally suffering characters who are portrayed by an exceptional cast, Southwest Shakespeare's Uncle Vanya is highly recommended. Uncle Vanya runs through March 21, 2015, with performances at the Farnsworth Studio at the Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street in Mesa, AZ. Tickets can be purchased at swshakespeare.org or by calling 480-644-6500
Written by Anton Chekov, Adapted by Annie Baker working with a
literal translation by Margarita Shalina and the original Russian
text Cast:
|
