Sterling Community Theatre announces auditions for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike!

 

Directed by Christine Guertin

Produced by Katie Eressy

 

ABOUT THE SHOW:  Chekhov is alive and well in Bucks County, PA, where middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia reside in their old family home, bickering and complaining about their lost dreams and missed opportunities. When their often wrong, fortune-telling maid Cassandra warns of impending dangers, their movie-star sister, Masha, arrives unexpectedly with her new boy toy, Spike.  Old resentments flare up, and the family is launched into a rollicking weekend eventually leading to threats to sell the house.  With wit and absurdity, Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike blends Chekhov’s famous ennui with the modern-day toils and troubles of celebrity, social networking, and age into a laugh-out-loud comedy that will tickle your funny bone and stimulate your mind.

 

CAST REQUIREMENTS: 4 Women, 2 Men (see character descriptions below).  All those auditioning must be 18 years of age or older. All roles are open to all actors without regard to race or ethnicity. Ages listed are VERY approximate, and apply to the character and not the actor. 

 

• Vanya – Male, 50s.  Bachelor, living in Bucks County, PA with his spinster sister Sonia. Dry, sardonic, highly intelligent, He is resigned to this sort of lonely humdrum life, at least compared to Sonia.  Actor must possess strong comedic and language skills as well as excellent timing.

• Sonia – Female, early 50s.  Vanya and Masha’s adopted sister, spinster, living in Bucks County. Considered plain, jealous of Masha, she is lonely, very emotional, fragile, and full of regret, but tentatively ready to discover if there is more to life.  Calls for strong comedic timing, authenticity, and a British dialect (for one scene) to resemble Maggie Smith.

• Masha – Female, 50s.  Vanya and Sonia’s sister, glamorous and successful B-list actress who goes gallivanting around the world. Has little to no responsibilities and seems blissfully unaware of the impact she has on her siblings (or really anyone else).  Flamboyant, bit of a diva, very insecure about aging, softens in the end.

• Spike – Male, 29 or younger.  Masha’s new companion, an aspiring actor, handsome, sexy, flirtatious, self-absorbed, and not particularly bright.   Requires excellent comedic timing.  Must be comfortable baring chest, and appearing in underwear on stage.

• Nina – Female, early 20s.  Lovely, naïve, and sincere aspiring actress, visiting her aunt and uncle, neighbors to Vanya and Sonia.  Star struck and energetic.  Nina is the character most like her counterpart from Chekov’s The Seagull.

• Cassandra – Female, any age.  Vanya and Sonia’s housekeeper and soothsayer, who often makes ominous predictions which are occasionally correct. Overly dramatic, sassy, firm believer in voodoo; like her Greek namesake, her prophecies are not believed. Strong physical comedian with excellent timing.

 

AUDITIONS:  Sunday July 18th, 6:00-8:00pm and Monday July 19th, 6:30-8:30pm

• Please arrive 10 minutes early to fill out any necessary paperwork.  Our audition form can also be downloaded ahead of time here

• Plan to stay for the entirety of the evening.

• Pre-registration is encouraged but not required.  Walk ins welcome

• Auditions will consist of cold-readings from the script, please familiarize yourself with the show and script if possible.  Monologues are not required.

 

CALLBACKS (if needed):  Wednesday July 21st, 6:30-8:30pm

 

REHEARSAL SCHEDULE:  Sundays 6:00-9:00pm, Mondays and Wednesdays 6:30-9:30pm

• First rehearsal is Monday July 26th

• Not every cast member will be called for every rehearsal.  Please bring your calendar to the auditions so you can list all known scheduling conflicts at that time.

 

TECH WEEK:  Week of September 12, 2021 (Full attendance is mandatory)

 

PERFORMANCES:  (Full attendance is mandatory)  Unmasked performances planned.

• Friday, September 17th, 7:30pm

• Saturday, September 18th, 7:30pm

• Sunday, September 19th, Matinee, exact time tbd

 

All auditions, rehearsals, and performances are located at First Church, 6 Meetinghouse Hill Road, Sterling, MA.

 

All questions can be directed to