‘Vanya and Sonia’ at theater

Staff report

NEW CASTLE, PA.

New Castle Playhouse will present “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” a comedy by playwright Christopher Durang. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and again April 16, 17 and 18; and 2 p.m. Sunday and April 19. For advance tickets, go to newcastleplayhouse.org, or call 724-654-3437.

Directed by Lester Malizia, “Vanya” features a veteran cast that includes Phillip C. Clark Jr., Molly Galano, Brandy Johanntges, Travis Ascione, Alexis Shellow and Holly Marshall.

The play centers on middle-age siblings Vanya and Sonia, who live in the family home. After spending their adulthood looking after their now-dead parents, neither has a job, and money is provided by their movie-star sister Masha, who owns the house and pays the bills.

Residing with Vanya and Sonia is their cleaning woman, Cassandra, who is prone to make dire prophecies that no one believes.

This static environment is disrupted when Masha returns home, bringing with her a flurry of drama, an endless litany of insecurity, and a much younger, but dimwitted, lover named Spike. Sonia’s resentments and Masha’s competitive nature begin to spark arguments, and while Vanya tries to keep the peace, he is repeatedly distracted by the preening Spike, who takes every opportunity possible to strip down and show off his muscular body.