Theatre Chit Chat
That's Your Opinion...Here's mine
Moscow, Moscow, Moscow
Moscow, Moscow, Moscow is playing at MCC located at 511 West 52nd Street. It runs ninety minutes with no intermission. The play closes on August 17, 2019.
Paloma Young is the costume designer. She was nominated for a Tony Award in 2017 for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.
The setting is a Russian country side 1900.
The three sisters Olga (Rebecca Henderson), Masha (Chris Perfetti) and Irina (Tavi Gevinson) are sounding off. Olga keeps saying that she looks like shit. She is single and the oldest .Masha is in the middle and is married to Kulygin (Ryan Spahn). She is not in love with him. Irina is the youngest. She is looking for love. There are two men who are interested in her Tuzenbach ( Steven Boyer) a lieutenant and Solvony (Matthew Jeffers) an outcast. She’s not interested in either romantically. Tuzenbach is a friend.
Their brother Andrey (Greg Hildreth) is an intellectual. His girlfriend Natasha (Sas Goldberg), who later becomes his wife is not well like by his sisters. They say she is a slut.
The family was raised in Moscow as members of the aristocracy. They moved to the country after their mother’s death. Their father was give command of the brigade there. He has been dead for a year.
They are celebrating Irina’s birthday. When she gets her birthday cake she puts her face into it.
Anfisa (Ako) is setting the birthday table. She used to be their nanny but now she is their servant.
It is now a year and a half later, They are waiting for the carnival people, who never come.
There are four acts in all. Act three is two years later and act four is in three months.
Other characters are, Vershinin (Alfredo Narciso) a handsome lieutenant, married with two daughters. He comes in the room always saying he doesn’t love his wife and she tried to kill herself again. Musha has a crush on him. Chebutykim (Ray Anthony Thomas) a doctor who has been sober for two years. He was in love with their mother. Ferapont (Gene Jones) comes and goes to have Audrey sign papers. He is part of the city council.
Irina decides that maybe she should marry Tuzenbach. He’s hesitant because she doesn’t love him.
Natasha gets more aggressive against the sisters, she becomes very domineering. Natisha has risen from lower class to aristocracy.
Moscow burns. The characters come in with soot all over their face.
I don’t want to spoil anything by telling you more.
But this is a quirky play! They say the play is based on Chekov Three Sisters. Well maybe there are many times when it was just silly and then there are times when it is dramatic.
Masha is played by a man.
Olga says to Natasha how she could say that she said bad things about her when she hasn’t talked to her since the first act.
At times it was serious but most of the scenes might been meant to be sarcastic. It touches lightly on the three sisters. If you expecting a serious play this is not it, But if you are looking for an entertaining play this is for you.
The cast is outstanding. Tavi Gevinson, Sas Goldberg, Rebecca Henderson and Chris Perfetti shine. Ako although doesn’t have a lot of speaking lines, her facial expression says it all. “Well done”.
Review by Rozanna Radakovich.
Photos by Annazor.
To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left. Click on photos for this and other shows.