Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike

The McCarter Theatre has a hit on its hands with, of all things, a comic take on the melancholy Russian plays of Chekhov. "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" stars Sigourney Weaver, Kristine Nielsen, and David Hyde Pierce as siblings whose literary parents named them after Chekhov characters. Masha (played by Sigourney Weaver) is a glamorous actress who descends upon her stay-at-home brother and sister with Spike, her new boy toy (played by Billy Magnussen). Susan Wallner talks with playwright Christopher Durang about comedy and Chekhov, and with actor David Hyde Pierce (Vanya) about being funny while playing it straight. PHOTO CREDIT: Billy Magnussen, Sigourney Weaver and David Hyde Pierce in Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike presented by McCarter Theatre Center in association with Lincoln Center Theater. Photo: T. Charles EricksonThanks for listening!Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.