A Peculiar but Interesting 'Uncle Vanya'

Chekhov, along with Ibsen, is one of the fathers of modern drama. He viewed humanity’s plight with a mixture of disdain and hilarity to produce several tragicomedies.  

   One of these classic works is “Uncle Vanya,†playing at Pittsfield’s Barrington Stage Company in a peculiarly translated and directed production.

   Written in 1898, the basic story illustrates Chekhov’s view that the Russian upper class is fast approaching extinction. It focuses on the privileged class that is wasting their lives and oblivious of the doom ahead. The same ideas run through “Three Sisters,†“The Cherry Orchard,†and “The Seagull.â€

   Only one of the characters in “Uncle Vanya,†Sonya (Keira Naughton), has any hope that life can be satisfying, but she loses this dream toward the end of the play when she consigns herself to the same misery as her uncle.  

   Vanya (Jack Gilpin) knows he is mired in unhappiness, but he is too stuck to find a way out; it is easier to accept life than to change it.  

   Dr. Astrov (Mark L. Montgomery), a family friend, is entranced by Yelena (Heidi Armbruster), Sonya’s young stepmother. Vanya is, too.  As Astrov spends time at the estate, he, too, falls victim to the ennui that engulfs Vanya’s family. The only ones not caught in this web are the servants, the antithesis of Russia’s upper class. They see their masters as hopeless children who must be coddled with cups of tea and vodka.

   This idea runs throughout the play as Astrov, Vanya and Yelena speak disparagingly of the peasants who surround them, decrying them as filthy and ignorant.  Chekhov and his characters had no idea these people would eventually rise up and shatter their world.  The play has significant things to say about humanity, relationships and responsibility to one’s fellow man.  

   This version by Paul Schmidt, a noted scholar and translator, is inconsistent. While he presents the dramatic moments, he walks a thin line between comedy and farce, sometimes jarring the tone of the production. This seems basic to his writing style. The dialogue also relies heavily on modern idioms and includes a number of current expressions.

   However, other elements are quite striking, in particular a speech by Astrov that mirrors contemporary ecological arguments.  His impassioned discourse on the abuse of the natural world resonates with modern concerns.  He also includes a number of pithy observations such as Yelena’s “If you can’t trust people, what’s the use of living?† Indeed, the script is a virtual compendium of pointed one-liners.

   Julianne Boyd’s direction broadens Schmidt’s tone by giving some of the comedic scenes madcap staging and line delivery, especially in the shooting scene.  Chekhov does not have to be covered with sacred dust, but subtler comedic work would better serve the production.    

   The major female performers fare well. Naughton’s Sonya is a sympathetic character, played with intelligence and emotion.  Yelena, as performed by Armbruster, is a beautiful but superficial cipher.  

   They move the play, whereas Gilpin’s buffoon-like Vanya in the earlier scenes, when he should be more world-weary, detracts from the production’s foundation.  

   Less foolish behavior would lend credence to his emotional outbursts in the latter part of the play.  It is difficult to believe in him.  Montgomery’s rendering of Astrov is also somewhat overdone but complements the tone of Boyd’s direction.

    This may not be a memorable production, but there is enough here to keep it interesting and enough to claim an audience’s attention.  

“Uncle Vanya†runs through Aug. 26. For tickets, call 413-236-8888 or go to www.barringtonstageco.org.