By Kristen Levine, Reporter
After a year’s absence due to Covid-19, Sterling Community Theatre is returning to the stage with a production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. A comedic play starring an all-volunteer cast, the production will run at First Church in Sterling from Friday, September 17 through Sunday, September 19.
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, written by American playwright Christopher Durang, derives from the works of Anton Chekhov in comedic absurdism. It follows the lives of three middle-aged siblings over the course of a weekend, featuring a fortune-telling maid who predicts disaster, Hollywood melodramatics, and the potential loss of the family’s home.
The choice of a comedic play was deliberate, and not only as light-hearted defiance at the stresses of Covid-19 and the difficulties of readjusting to life since.
“This play was a relevant choice, as it is about the importance of family and taking the time to understand what is most important in your life,” said director Christine Guertin. “During the pandemic, I know I’ve had loads of time to reflect on these topics.”
The theatre company first came about in 1997, when Sterling resident Susan Galvin looked into an unused stage in First Church and wondered if it could be put to better use. The company has run multiple shows since, ranging from The Sound of Music to Steel Magnolias. The theatre is funded entirely through donations, ticket sales and other means of community involvement, with the cast working for free to bring a little Broadway to Sterling.
“Public reception has been very positive for our theatre’s reopening,” said Board Chair Janice McLean. “Our sponsoring organization First Church enthusiastically supported our decision to produce a show in September. We had a strong showing at auditions, and while ticket sales have only been open for a week (as of August 17), they are steadily coming in; we’re hopeful for a large crowd of masked and socially-distanced audience members.”
The cast is eager to be back treading the boards, though the feeling of being back in a public setting can be difficult. Guertin notes that adjusting from quarantined life back to a day job to performance work schedule can be daunting.
“We’re all relieved to be back doing what we love, but a few of us have noted that transitioning back can be exhausting,” Guertin said. “Many of us are working full-time during the day and rehearsing at night, and that has been a bit of a challenge. However, it feels great to get back to normal, or at least normal for theatre people.”
Plans for 2020 had included a production of The Secret Garden. Cancelled due to pandemic restrictions, the theatre made the decision not to go forward with the production into 2021.
“We do currently have a license to produce the show in 2022, and we are hopeful that we are able to return to our normal season by then,” McLean said. “Our February show didn’t even reach the planning phase and it was obvious we would not be able to be on stage at that time. We’re hopeful we will be able to resume the production in early 2022.”
Being back on stage has great meaning for Sterling Community Theatre, being able to bring musical performance and beloved plays to an audience without having to go to venues in Boston or Worcester. Producer Katie Eressy is optimistic about the reception for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.
“I think it’s great for sterling to be back this fall, and doing something completely different than usual,” Eressy said. “The September show has historically been a musical with a large cast, but this show is a play with six actors. In addition to the new style of show, many cast members are new to Sterling, which is a great opportunity to introduce new people to SCT.”
“Sterling Community Theatre has been producing family-friendly, large, multi-generational musical productions each September for nearly 25 years,” McLean said. “We’re looking forward to resuming our normal season, and perhaps even trying something new in 2022 and for many years to follow.”
Tickets for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike are available on the Sterling Community Theatre website, with general admission priced at $20. As the play has adult themes, the recommended age for audience members is 16 and above.
https://www.sterlingtheatre.com/