Here Comes the Sun: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Shine Bright at Masquerade Theatre

by Meg Bryan

“I miss the past, and I’m afraid of the future.” This climactic statement from Vanya in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, written by Christopher Durang, is something many of us, myself included, can relate to. That deep feeling of nostalgia, yearning for the things you loved so dearly as a child. That sometimes paralyzing fear of the unknown, especially the arguably biggest unknown that is the future. The dueling feelings of loving your family with all your heart and not being able to stand spending a single second with them. These are just a few of the emotions this powerhouse cast evokes through the duration of the show. This cast tells a story that will make you crack up laughing one moment and have you thinking very existentially the next.

The set of a modest home in Bucks County, constructed by Dan Boris, has a rustic and welcoming feel, exacerbated by the intimate setting that Masquerade provides. Amber colored walls create a warm backdrop to the couple of wire chairs with a matching table. These walls were minimally but purposefully decorated. At the forefront of the stage, there sat two beautiful velvet armchairs, one orange and one dark green, separated by a coffee table. The multicolored lights overhead, programmed by Managing Director Tommy Balne, were utilized beautifully to illustrate the heat of late summer with bright and warm tones. Additionally, the moments when psychic Cassandra shares her visions were presented with a white spotlight framing her face with the rest of the stage in near darkness, creating a very stark difference between these small interjects and the day to day life of the rest of the story. The direction of Courtney Bundens is exceptional, with every movement being intentional yet still feeling natural, no matter how crazy the physicality may have been. The show flowed without a hitch, in large part to Stage Manager Jake Hufner and Bundens who were stationed at the tech booth during the show, controlling both light and sound cues. Speaking of sound, the easily recognizable preshow playlist, complete with songs by Queen, Billy Joel, and The Beatles, added beautifully to the familial and comfortable feeling in the theater. Hearing the audience quietly hum and sing along to the music warmed my heart.

The actors did an outstanding job telling this rollercoaster of a story and embodying dynamic characters who, for the most part, travel through a massive arc throughout the show. Lights come up on Vanya (Shawn O’Brien) and Sonia (Lisa Croce), a brother and adopted sister sitting in what we will find out to be their unspoken assigned armchairs. We are immediately pulled in by the duality of Sonia’s shockingly bipolar behavior, illustrated by her throwing and shattering two mugs of coffee, and Vanya’s gruff but peacekeeping nature in their opening conversation. They are visited soon after by their cleaning lady, the quirky psychic Cassandra (Sarah Gomez), bearing her daily warnings, seeming to be a routine due to Vanya and Sonia’s exasperated reactions. One warning that seems to stand out to them speaks of their home being at risk, as if someone would sell it out from under them. As if on cue, they are unexpectedly interrupted by the siblings’ exuberant and drama-filled movie star sister Masha (Kristine L. Bonaventura). She is accompanied by Spike (Reese Pasquarello), her empty-headed and much younger “beloved” who seems to take every opportunity possible to strip down and show off his physique. The pair is obviously deeply in lust, unable to keep their eyes and hands off of one another. Intimacy Coordinator Sean McGarry helped to make each of their loved up interactions look completely natural, no matter the intensity. Masha is visiting home with the intention of attending a star studded costume party with Spike, and she reluctantly invites Vanya and Sonia to tag along, as well as the youthful aspiring actress Nina (Janea Hundley) who sparks some jealousy from Masha when Spike appears to take to her quite fondly and because Cassandra had, moments before, gave Masha a prophetic warning about Nina. As the story progresses through confrontation, both internal and external, we see deeper aspects of the sibling trio in particular. Masha’s belief that her life is over after her fifth marriage has failed, Sonia’s regrets of a life left dull and empty due to her own insecurities, and Vanya’s deeply rooted feelings of nostalgia for his childhood and fear of what the future may bring.

This cast moves and operates as a unit, never even slightly breaking from their character’s personalities and making sure to stay present in each moment even when all they may do in a scene is sit to the side and watch another cast member speak. O’Brien had some of my favorite of these reactions, especially in the multiple moments where Spike decided to disrobe and throw his clothes onto the older man. His rollercoaster of a monologue in Act 2 pushes past his softer spoken exterior and lets the audience into a much more vulnerable side of Vanya. O’Brien weaves through the states of scornful frustration, wide eyed wistfulness, and regretful sadness with expert skill in just a short amount of time, always keeping a tenderness about his demeanor that made Vanya so lovable. Croce’s Sonia was beautifully troubled with stark emotional dichotomy. Her actions and statements as she traipses through her melancholy life embody her crushing insecurities, and those worries of never being good enough. Croce illustrates Sonia’s internal battle with quiet certainty, her facial expressions clearly telling us the story woven in between the lines she delivered.

Bonaventura is electric as Masha, commanding the stage from the moment she enters with an over the top energy compared to the subdued Vanya and Sonia. If it wasn’t clear through dialogue that she is a movie star, her statuesque poise and demanding tone make that fact abundantly clear. Bonaventura portrays Masha’s narcissistic mask boldly and unapologetically, showcasing a sheer difference in demeanor when the mask slips and a light shines onto her own insecurities during her confrontation with Sonia, showing us how similar the sisters really are deep down. Speaking of insecurities, Pasquarello shows us that Spike very clearly has none of his own. From his very first entrance with Masha, he brings a dorky kind of charisma that makes him impossible to ignore. Everything Pasquarello does and says, from stripping onstage to his always exaggerated body language and vocal inflections, keeps you laughing and sometimes cringing through the entire show.

Gomez’s portrayal of Cassandra is quirky and goofy in all the right ways, her look completed by big jewelry and multicolored patchwork clothing. It’s hard to believe that this is only Gomez’s second time onstage as her every move is captivating. Her wide eyed expression and powerful voice during every psychic message she brings demands attention, even if none of the other characters heed or even believe her warnings. Hundley is excellent as Nina, leaning heavily into her innocence and naivety. This is especially present when Nina takes a major role in a reading of the play Vanya is working on where the aspiring actress character puts every ounce of her energy into every word she delivers. There are many layers as an actor when you are playing a character who is or wants to be an actor, and Hundley maneuvers through those layers beautifully, making sure to create a clear tonal difference between Nina’s normal everyday dialogue and her monologuing during Vanya’s play.

Each performer is dressed wonderfully by Costume Designer Rebecca Sisley in attire that fits their differing personalities to a T. I spoke of Cassandra’s multicolored outfit earlier as hers was an immediate standout to me. Her eye-catching ensemble told the audience immediately the type of person we should expect, alluding to her revealed psychic powers. Vanya, Sonia, and Nina were all dressed comfortably with modest silhouettes and muted colors, except for their Snow White themed costumes for the party of course. Masha and Spike, on the other hand, were in brighter shades and cuts that flattered their figures just like movie stars would be. Sisley never disappoints in her endeavors, always making sure every piece she brings to a character is purposeful.

If you’re looking for an absolutely hysterical comedy that tackles heavy topics masterfully, then Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is not one to miss. As Director Bundens expertly writes in their program message, you will indeed leave with a “warm feeling in your heart and a metaphorical hand to hold yours through these constant and debilitating changes in the world”. Do not miss their limited run, only showing until October 11th! Get your tickets now at: https://masqueradetheatre.simpletix.com/