Theater Reviews + Features | Pittsburgh City Paper: Take a group of remarkably talented theater artists such as playwright Christopher Durang, director Tracey Brigden and actresses Sheila McKenna and Helena Ruoti, put them to work on one play and what could possibly go wrong?
Consider Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, making its Pittsburgh premiere at City Theatre. I know people bitch my reviews are too personal, and what follows could be just my own view ... especially considering the show won Tony, Outer Critics, Drama Desk and Critic's Circle awards for best new play.
5 comments:
I went to see this production two weeks ago now, and let me just say, it was fantastic. I had never seen anything at City Theatre before, and I have to admit, there were elements of this production that were better than Broadway. Susan Tsu's costumes were incredibly fitting for the play, and the set was fantastic, (despite the very similar design to Broadway). I am now definitely going to go back to City Theatre to see another show this season. With a killer design team like they had, I knew it was going to be a great production right off the bat.
I had the opportunity to see this show and it was great. I was blown away by the set as it was almost lifelike, down to weeds growing out cracks in the sidewalk. The acting seemed a little forced at times, but still held onto that comedic prowess Christopher Durang's script held. The show was entirely enjoyable and at times I was rolling with laughter. It played true to Chekhov's style, combining comedy with drama. The actors were fully committed to their own character, but I thought that their overall chemistry was lacking. Susan Tsu's costumes for the character of Masha were spot-on, and the entire design aesthetic was outstanding. Overall, though, I enjoyed this show.
I too saw the show, and was fortunate enough to have seen it on Broadway as well a few short months earlier. Like Nathan, this was the first show I have ever seen at City Theatre, and I must say I am wholeheartedly disappointed that I had not discovered them sooner. That said, I completely disagree with the reviewer. In both productions the show was outrageously funny and a phenomenal piece of theater to watch. Spike's crazy antics contrasting with Vanya's wishing for a time now passed keep the audience laughing the entire time. I must also say that City Theatre's production was as good as, if not better than, the original broadway version.
I was graced with the opportunity to see this show and can say from first hand experience that it was amazing. For me as a designer the detail of the design was astonishing. As far as the set design is concerned I thought it was amazing how much detail was put into the design really was incomparable. My seat was in the front row so I suspected to find something that wasn't quite perfect or ruined the allusion (due to my close proximity to the stage) but simply couldn't find one. The aspect of the set that really put it over the top for me was the weeds pushing through the cracks and the dead leaves on the ground. I thought Susan Tsu's costume design really complimented the characters perfectly and that the Dopey costume was perfectly sized. All this being said I think that the show was amazing thanks to a wonderful job done by the entire design team. I definitely am looking forward to seeing more shows at the City Theatre during my four years here.
I had the opportunity to see this show, thanks to Jason Cohen's lovely parents, and I really liked it. Most of the acting was great, and I really liked how the set was done. The designers payed so much attention to detail, and everything felt so real. Besides the set, Pino's soundscape and Susan Tsu's costume design were incredible. I disagree with the reviewer, and I really liked the play. I also loved the Chekhov references, and they make so much more sense now that we're reading The Cherry Orchard in foundations. Overall, the show was great and I look forward to seeing more shows at City Theatre in the future.
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