Saint Rose Theatre Ensemble presents Tony Award-winning ‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,’ April 19 to 22

Three middle-aged siblings reflect on their lives, loves and missed opportunities in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” a Tony-Award winning comedy The College of Saint Rose Theatre Ensemble will perform April 19 to 22.

Written by Christopher Durang, the play is sprinkled with references to the works of Anton Chekov – including the characters’ names and the setting – a cherry orchard. But it takes place in Pennsylvania and no familiarity with the Russian playwright is needed in order to enjoy the humorous adaptation, produced and directed by Angela Ledtke.

The show take place in the Campus Theatre, 966A Madison Avenue, on the south side of the Saint Rose campus. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for students, and no reservations will be taken. Only cash will be accepted. Performances April 19 to 21 are at 7 p.m., with an additional 2 p.m. show on Sunday, April 22.

“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” starred David Hyde Pierce, Sigourney Weaver, Billy Magnussen, and Kristine Nielsen when it opened for a limited Broadway run  in 2013. It won the Tony for Best Play as well as the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play.

The story revolves around Vanya and Sonia, unmarried siblings who live together in the family home and don’t work.  A visit by their movie star sister, Masha, who supports the two siblings, sparks arguments and her threats to sell the home. Thrown into the mix is Spike, her dimwitted, muscle-bound boyfriend. Events unfold as the family prepares to attend a costume party as characters from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The cast members for this performance are:

Masha: Emily Paolicelli, sophomore, Croton-On-Hudson, New York
Vanya: Christopher Gary Ignatius Weiss III, freshman, Queens, New York
Sonia: Aileen Burke, sophomore, Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania
Cassandra: Samantha Karian, junior, Albany, New York
Spike: Ryley Kalem Rodriguez, sophomore, Chicopee, Massachusetts
Nina: Julia Martin, freshman, Portland, Maine
Stage manager: Tess Snyder, sophomore, Clifton Park, New York
Director: Angela Ledtke