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Uncle Vanya by New Village Arts  Richly drawn characters that are woven into a beautiful plot
make Chekhov’s drama a touching and memorable, if discouraging, evening of
theatre. And New Village Arts presents us with a polished and thoughtfully
drawn production of it.
Uncle Vanya (Joshua Everett Johnson) is a 47-year-old philosophizing, thoroughly unhappy bachelor who lacks the self-esteem and confidence to look others in the face when he talks to them – which is often, as he loves talk people’s ears off with long diatribes of his bitter and sarcastic wisdom. But lack of confidence doesn’t stop him from eagerly trying to win the affection of the stunningly beautiful, intelligent, and young Yelena (Jennifer Austin), wife of the very old, passionless, and misanthropic professor Serebryakov (Charlie Reindeau). But his awful efforts to woo, mostly consisting of awkwardly giving her flowers while spouting his bitter, worldly philosophy, does not find purchase with Yelena. Instead she finds him pitiful, and detests his lack of morality for shamelessly romancing a married woman. Not that Yelena is completely incapable of the thought of infidelity – namely regarding Dr. Astrov (Matt Scott), a more confident, passionate, handsome, and intelligent man with a deep concern for nature and the preservation of the environment (well ahead of his time), but who also struggles with a drinking problem. They both find themselves drawn together in a love-hate relationship that tilts further and further towards the “love” side. But their love leaves two unrequited lovers in its wake – the bitter Uncle Vanya and his young niece Sonya (Julianna Lorenz) who has had a barely contained crush on the doctor for years. A crush that, unfortunately, the older Dr. Astrov has been completely oblivious to, seeing Sonya as a friend and a child, but definitely never as a woman. More than Vanya, the focus of this production is really Sonya – a young woman with a sweet, nurturing, caring, beautiful nature, if rather plain outwardly. Especially in comparison with the elegant Yelena. Director Francis Gercke chose the perfect actress for the role, with Julianna offering a mesmerizing performance, never overplaying the role, but grabbing you with her subtleties as she pines hopelessly for the doctor while carrying on when life teases her, but refuses to give her what her heart so desires. Under the deft guidance of Francis Gercke, the rest of the cast gives admirable and nuanced performances as well, filled with a mixture of passion and pain, and the despair and hope so prevalent in Chekhov’s plays. Their climactic scene comes when the aloof professor Serebryakov gives a long, rambling lecture about how he and his young wife Yelena must move out of the house, while the other characters sit around the room, barely hearing him as they each become lost in their own uniquely pained emotions indicated by just the slightest of looks and almost imperceptible body language, but speaking as loudly as if they had all dared to finally stand and shout out their true feelings that they keep hidden within.Rob Hopper San Diego Playbill ~ Cast ~
Uncle Vanya: Joshua Everett Johnson Astrov: Matt Scott Serebryakov: Charlie Reindeau Yelena: Jennifer Austin Sonya: Julianna Lorenz Marya: Peg Humphrey Marina: Toni Perkins Telegin: Pat Moran Yefim: Tony Gorodeckas Director: Francis Gercke Set Design: Michael Scott Lighting Design: David Lee Cuthbert Costume Design: Mary Larson Sound Design: Jeff Jones |