Vanya And Masha And Spike Analysis

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is a comedic play written by Christopher Durang and directed by Mindy Cooper. The play takes place in an old family home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania where middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia live. While mourning the loss of their dreams and missed opportunities their fortune-telling maid warns them of upcoming dangers. Their movie star sister, Masha, arrives unexpectedly with her young boyfriend Spike, who takes an interest in a young girl Nina. The family is then launched into a weekend of twists and turns. And teaches us of the importance of family and never giving up on dreams. The cast for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike are Justin Streichman as Vanya, Giana Gambardella as Sonia, Lisa Quotes
Scenic Designer John Iacovelli did a phenomenal job building a set that would feel like the audience and the actors were inside a cozy country home down to the last details of the books and pictures of the shelf that made it feel homey.The scenic design visually brought the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere to life. Lighting Designer Kent Dorsey too brought the visual atmosphere of the play come to life the touch of the yellow lighting in the room brought warmth to the theater and the dimming of the lights, as well as the light on the table, stands subtly organized allowed for the atmosphere to feel more realistic and homey to the audience. Alongside these two phenomenal designers is designer of sound Lindsey Putman who brought the atmosphere to life in the presence of sound. One could close their eyes and still feel like they were on a warm home by simply listening to the sound of sometimes silence, the sound of the radio playing in the background, and even the sound of Vanya quietly stirring his coffee in the morning and the sound of the spoon hitting against the walls of the cup. From the biggest sound down to the smallest, they all had a specific place to transform the atmosphere at one point from a country home to the empty atmosphere galaxy world of a
The scenic and costume design did not only develop the atmosphere, but also aided in the development of the environment and characters, and the overall story being told. Scenic designer John Iacovelli as I previously mentioned does a remarkable job designing the set to make it appears like an old country home with the decorations on the walls the old looking furniture really transfers the audience to a new place. The design aspect also helps with the developments of the characters and helps the audience see who they are by the things in their home, for example, the old furniture and overall look of the house depict the way the characters Vanya and Sonya are stuck in the past unable to move forward in life. Also, the posters on the wall of the sister Masha help illustrate her character the poster of Masha as Anastasia in a way foreshadows her princess/queen like personality. Costume designer Victoria Livingston-Hall designs for, the looks of the characters made an incredible impact on the illustration of their characters' personalities. Vanya and Sonia’s casual clothing illustrated the story of middle-aged people who never leave the house, have no motivation and no interest in their looks. While on the other hand, Mashas clothing choices represent the typical Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe diva look in all white down to the short blond wig and the well