UNCLE  VANYA  at the Pearl Theatre Company

(Seen September 30,  2014)


UNCLE VANYA, one of the reasons so many modern plays are called 'Chekovian', is a classic story of unfullfillment and loss, set in Russia's pre-revolutionary period.

An extended family portrait, we enter their world of a country house and a family in distress, where each one is disappointed at the way their life has played out, emotionally, as they crave prople they cannot have. 

This production is fairly straightforward, without any gimmicks or time shifting, and is rather faithful to the material in its' interpretation.  

The cast is well-suited to the material, but the director has decided to have them act at such high pitch that they sometimes verge on caricature.  They become mannered and obvious, which tends to distract us from Chekov's deep emotional context.