Vanya And Masha And Spike Essay Topics

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is a comedic play written by Christopher Durang that presents a spin on common themes and characters from famous Anton Chekhov works. The play tells the story of three middle-aged siblings, the relationship between them, and the events surrounding the return of one of the siblings. Two of the siblings, Sonia and Vanya, live together in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and often mourn the many missed opportunities in their lives. Their sister, Masha, is a famous actress who makes a surprise visit to Sonia and Vanya, bringing along her new young boyfriend: Spike. Nicholas Martin and Melora Kordos both directed two versions of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, both of which represent Durang’s original intent

In this scene, Cassandra is wearing a bright pink bandanna tied around her head, a pink, orange, and blue patterned shirt that flows down past her hips, and a big white necklace accompanied by a plethora of bracelets. In Kordos’s scene, Cassandra presents herself confidently when she is talking to Vanya about how Masha should not sell the house. This reflects Cassandra’s confidence in not only her psychic abilities but her confidence in her ability to make the right decision. Both Cassandra and Vanya agree that in this specific case, it is okay to use voodoo against Masha, or else their house would be gone from under them. In Durang’s script, Cassandra states, “I’m worried about you and Sonia. I had presentiments last night. Masha must not sell the house. The market is still soft anyway, doesn’t she know that? But it’s a bad thing for her to do, she needs to watch over you and Sonia. I’m tired of foretelling the future, but then the bad things happen anyway. I want to change the future, I want to change this situation” (Durang 60). This line shows Cassandra’s motivations for using voodoo: she does not want Sonia and Vanya to lose the house. She is worried about their well-being and wants to do everything she can to make sure they are safe and protected, therefore giving her a good reason to use voodoo magic against Masha. Kordos, however, does not reflect the psychological characterization Durang uses for Cassandra. While Kordos’s version of this scene does present Cassandra as confident that she is doing the right thing, it does not show her passion for Vanya and Sonia and her motivations for her actions. In Martin’s version of this scene, Cassandra is not only confident, but passionate about protecting Vanya and Sonia, and this passion for the two siblings is displayed so much that the audience can feel it, which does not happen in