By Kimberly Harper
Anton Chekhov’s plays are the kind of theater that you either love, or don’t. You can appreciate the nuance and subtlety, or it’s lost on you without serious effort on your part. Full disclosure: I do not love Chekhov. I should. I know that. But I would never, of my own volition, purchase tickets to one of his shows. I am, as director Curt Columbus says in his interview with Gamm resident scholar Rachel Walshe, the kind of person who looks at the script and boils it down to “these people need to go to therapy!”
Until now.
It takes somebody who really understands a body of work to bring it to life for everyone. And that’s exactly what Columbus, who is a Chekhov translator, has done in this interpretation of “Uncle Vanya.” He’s taken a stodgy piece about unrequited love, death and finances and given it a stripped-down newness that’s bound to grab you.
In quick summary, the show is set in a small Russian farming town. Young Sonya and her uncle Vonitsky (Vanya) have essentially been running the family estate and looking after aging relatives Marina and Marya. But the economy is bad, and the rest of the family – cantankerous professor Serebryakov and his much younger wife Yelena – have returned for lack of anywhere else to go. They’ve managed to throw the entire house, and some of the town, for a loop with their presence, especially the young and handsome doctor Astrov. Besides the professor turning the established schedule on its head (Marina laments that they used to be able to have tea at 1 like “good Christians,” but no more), Yelena is something of a siren herself. She’s managed to capture the hearts of Vanya and Astrov. She can barely stand herself or her husband, let alone anyone else. Sonya, who laments her lack of beauty, is hopelessly in love with Astrov. And in the end, very little changes for either Sonya or Vanya, who wind up soldiering on, we are to believe, for the rest of their days, in that little town.
Columbus’ translation of the text doesn’t exactly make the show exciting – nothing is going to make Chekhov an edge-of-your-seat thriller – but, better, makes it accessible and interesting. The characters are three-dimensional, relatable. They make you laugh. You want Sonya to find love. You want the doctor to realize what’s in front of him and bring her the joy she desperately craves. You would really like the professor to stop making everyone miserable. You’d kind of like to see Yelena get over herself and her constant whining about boredom, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, it makes her interactions with the lovesick Vanya even funnier. And in these political and economic times, how could you not relate to the bleakness of just getting through life, one day at a time? Doesn’t that happen to us all?
It’s in this everyday monotony that Chekhov, in large part thanks to Columbus, finds the words to reach us. And Columbus’ addition of some Gamm in-jokes (look for the Streetcar Named Desire reference!) and modern tunes (often sung by people who wouldn’t look out of place in today’s hipster scene) add levity where it’s most needed.
Enough can’t be said about the talent here. Which, yes, is usually true for the Gamm, but it’s kicked up a notch here, with many house favorites really bringing their A-game to their roles. Tony Estrella, always willing to tackle a difficult role, shines as Vanya. He slowly and expertly build’s his character’s frustration over the course of two hours, taking things to their inevitable climax just before curtain. Speaking of climax, when Yelena finally realizes her affections for Astrov, the woman practically has one on stage – during the course of a slide show about forestry. That bit of hilarity comes from Marianna Bassham, in the best role I’ve seen her in since her haunting portrayal of Blanche DuBois in “Streetcar.” Rachel Dulude as Sonya is sympathetic without being whiny or intolerable. Steve Kidd is great as the completely oblivious doctor Astrov, and Casey Seymour Kim is delightful playing Marina. Put them all on a bare bones, rambling set, and everything you need for a great show is right there, unadorned.
Even if Chekhov isn’t your usual cup of tea, it’s worth making time to see this production, which is one of the best Gamm has offered. Fans of the author will love its fresh treatment, and the doubters may just be converted after all.
Uncle Vanya runs through Feb. 18 at the Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket. Tickets start at $44 and may be obtained at the box office, online at gammtheatre.org, or by calling 401.723.4266.
