The University of Illinois Springfield Theatre Program will present six performances of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” by Christopher Durang.
The show will run for two weekends: Friday, April 4 through Sunday, April 6, and Thursday, April 10, through Saturday, April 12 in the Studio Theatre on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS. All performances will begin at 7:30 p.m., except for the Sunday show on April 6, which will start at 2 p.m. There will be a post-show discussion on April 10.
The play is set in the present day in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in a farm house Vanya and his step-sister Sonia have lived in all their lives. They jointly took care of their ailing, doddering parents for many years while their movie star sister Masha was gallivanting around the world, having a life. The play takes place on a weekend when Masha shows up with a new twenty-something boy toy named Spike. Vanya, Masha and Sonia were named after Chekhov characters by their college professor parents. The play, which is a mix of comedy and drama, takes Chekhovian characters and themes, mixes them up and puts them in a blender.
“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is directed by Professor and Director of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson with scenic design and technical direction by Associate Professor of Theatre Dathan Powell.
The cast includes community members John Paris, Ara McEwen, Melissa Betty, Zaxxson Nation, Amanda Lazzara and Joy Brown, a UIS history major. The production team consists of UIS students, faculty, staff and community members, including UIS theatre majors Shari Cartman, wardrobe; Erin Brennan, lighting designer; and Damarion Jackson, assistant stage manager. Community members on the production team include Craig Steenerson, master electrician, and Paul Walter, extra help in the scene shop. UIS faculty and staff on the production team include Caitlin O’Donoghue, adjunct instructor, as costume designer, and Sabrina Holmes, admissions and records officer, as props master.
Additional UIS students on the production team include Giles Harris-Patel, assistant stage manager; Christina Brewer, sound research and sound board operator; Dionne Lenoir, student scene shop assistant; and Aria Woods, UIS theatre student worker.
The team also includes UIS alumnus Chip Deiss, who serves in multiple roles as light board operator, master electrician and production documentarian/lobby display.
Ticket prices are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, $12 for UIS faculty and staff, $10 for UIS students and $8 for young adults/children under 17. Please note that service charges are not included in the prices above.
Tickets can be purchased on the UIS Performing Arts Center website or between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Ticket Office, located on the first level of the UIS Public Affairs Center near the main entrance. A $2.50 service fee applies to tickets purchased online or by phone. Patrons may call the UIS Ticket Office at 217-206-6160 or visit the UIS Theatre website for more information.