Uncle Vanya

Uncle Vanya was presented in May/June 2001, directed by Jack Sbarbori and Sharon Dodd, with a lighting design by Don Slater. The cast included Ted Culler, Bettina Curtis, Beatrice Judge, Steve LaRocque, Stephanie Mumford, Michele Osherow, Nick Sampson, and Norman Seltzer.

...the Quotidian Theatre Company’s meticulous and confident production of Uncle Vanya, a heartbreaking sunset of a play presented in a fine new translation by artistic director Jack Sbarbori... Steve LaRocque’s Vanya provides a dramatic center for the play...(his) heady mixture of bravado and distress is enough reason to see the show... Directed with understated aplomb and sure momentum by Sbarbori and Sharon Dodd, the Quotidian production is elegantly rendered in its costuming and design. Although no less than three Vanyas have been mounted in the D.C. area over the past few years, Quotidian’s charged production is significant enough to merit a close look. ...Quotidian’s production is a respectful and well-wrought take on a classic that does justice to its enduring and endearing title character.

--Neda Ulaby, City Paper

...the acting and direction enhance both the tragedy and the humor of the play. ...Vanya is very much an ensemble piece, but each character gets the opportunity to pour out his or her heart before the final curtain. ...(in this) new translation, the dialogue seemed more contemporary, more natural than previous Vanyas I’ve seen. Quotidian’s acting company is superb, particularly Steve LaRocque as Vanya, Stephanie Mumford as Yelena, Nick Sampson as the doctor, and Norman Seltzer as the professor. And Michele Osherow’s Sonya simply breaks your heart. Don Slater’s muted lighting is very effective, and Stephanie Mumford’s costumes are just right... The characters in Uncle Vanya deserve and ultimately earn our compassion. Their personalities are familiar, their frustrations not unlike our own. This production is a gem. I’m going again, and I hope to see you there.

--Bari Biern, Metro Connection, WAMU 88.5 fm

...the Quotidian production is a new translation by Jack Sbarbori, who co-directs with Sharon Dodd, and it is an absolute jewel! Chekhov’s fascinating characters...are vibrantly brought to life in the updated 1914 setting, richly designed...and clothed in magnificent wardrobes of period costumes...all with an abundance of authentic detail. Standing out in the uniformly excellent cast are Steve LaRocque as Vanya and Nick Sampson as Doctor Astrov. In the small role of "Waffles" Telegin, Ted Culler presents a sweetly sympathetic character who has much more going on inside him that he speaks in actual words. This outstanding Vanya plays until June 17th.

--Terri Corcoran, The Review