Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Written by	Christopher Durang
Characters	Vanya Masha Spike Sonia Nina Cassandra
Date premiered	September 7, 2012 (2012-09-07)
Place premiered	McCarter Theatre, Princeton, New Jersey

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is a comedy play written by Christopher Durang. The story revolves around the relationships of three middle-aged single siblings, two of whom live together, and takes place during a visit by the third, Masha, who supports them. They discuss their lives and loves, argue, and Masha threatens to sell the house. Some of the show's elements were derived from works of Anton Chekhov, including several character names and sibling relationships, the play's setting in a country house (in Bucks County, Pennsylvania) with a vestigial cherry orchard, the performance of an "avant-garde" play by one of the main characters (as in The Seagull), and the themes of old vs. new generations, real vs. assumed identities, the challenges of a woman growing older after successes in a career that seems to be ending, the hope and carelessness of youth, intrafamilial rivalries, and the possible loss of an ancestral home.

The play premiered at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey in 2012, followed by an Off-Broadway production later the same year. It transferred to Broadway in 2013. The original McCarter, Off-Broadway, and Broadway casts included David Hyde Pierce, Kristine Nielsen, Sigourney Weaver and Billy Magnussen. Subsequently, the play has been produced in Tennessee,^[1] California, Indiana, Minnesota, Arizona, Washington, Massachusetts, Missouri, Wyoming, Georgia, Colorado, South Carolina, Alaska, Portland Oregon, the District of Columbia, and Toronto.

Critics praised Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike as a humorous adaptation of Chekhov themes that doesn't require familiarity with Chekhov. The original Broadway production proved to be a commercial success, recouping its $2.75 million investment in under four months. In 2013, it won the Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, among other awards.