Word: vanya
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...have seen a professional production of Billy Budd, by the Brattle Players, for $.80 and a full length production of Shaw's Candida for $.60, one now is forced to pay $1.50 to scramble for a chair in the Adams House lower common room to see students playing Uncle Vanya. Just five years ago the Harvard Theater Group presented Coriolanus with admission only $.60; in 1955 the HDC came out with a show entitled Great To Be Back!, and made the rock bottom price...
Chekhov's Uncle Vanya is a striking display of the inspiration and technical mastery that sets Chekhov far above most of his countless imitators. The subtlety, the probing insight into character, the sensitive, tragic spirit that is touched by moments of bright comedy--create a situation drama that is quiet, intense, and marvelously touching. And because Vanya is so personal and muted, and its action so internal, the play is exactly suited to the type of production it receives from Adams House...
...although many of the individual actors often use their freedom and intimacy to do excellent work with their roles, the characters hardly ever act and speak to one another. They are not integrated; they are striking by themselves, but sacrifice the effect of an inter-related group. In Uncle Vanya this is a grave flaw...
...play of violent action or of individual detachment. A stale retired professor (Serebriakov), his young wife (Elena), and the daughter (Sonia), brother (Vanya), and mother of his first wife live cramped lives on a faded Russian estate. A visitor, the overworked local doctor (Astrov) wanders in and out of the household. Sonia loves the doctor, who is unaware of her as a woman. Vanya, who feels oppressed and trapped, shares with the doctor a love for Elena, who is quite miserable with her old and pompous husband. The doctor dreams of forestry and the future, yet sees his education...
...Edward Hambleton and Norris (Billy Budd) Houghton, the Phoenix has helped create a renaissance of the off-Broadway theater. One measure of its impact: a star of the magnitude of Franchot Tone has agreed to play an off-Broadway role most of this season in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya...