"Uncle Vanya" performance connects audience with characters in Memorial Hall

Language barriers often keep us from understanding those around us, but sometimes being able to look beyond words makes the meaning more apparent.

In its original Russian, the Maly Drama Theatre’s rendition of Anton Chekov’s “Uncle Vanya” featured supertitles, where the actors’ lines were translated into English on a projector screen above the stage.

A minimal set of only a few chairs and tables below three floating bales of hay gave the sense of a trip to the country, to a wooden house where the pace of life is a bit slower than usual.

And for the characters, the slow pace is stifling. The country estate is a tomb for them, a place of eternal boredom that cannot be remedied.

Some characters found solace in alcohol, drinking to feel alive instead of to eliminate problems. They feel they’re wasting their lives and spend much of their time wondering what could have been.

Despite Memorial Hall’s large stage and seating area, the atmosphere was intimate at Wednesday night’s performance. The characters invited the audience into their psyches through their dialogue, telling their individual stories while blending seamlessly with the ensemble.

But it was the moments of silence where the most gripping emotions were felt. When there was no need to focus on the supertitles above, the passion of the actors came through in vivid facial expressions and subtle gestures to the audience.

An acoustic guitar and the sound of crickets served as the primary music of the show.

Moments of extreme sadness were often juxtaposed with a lighter tone or funny line that demonstrated a real sadness brewing just beneath the surface but still gave a glimmer of hope.

And yet there was humor — not the slapstick, slip and fall of today’s comedy — but the humor of unique personalities making their way through a tough, yet always strangely normal, life.

It was difficult initially to keep changing view from the supertitles to the actors. But as the show progressed, the meaning became apparent without the translated words above.

An emotional connection developed between audience and characters, and language was no longer a barrier.

The screen no longer became the focus, but rather a complement to the performance of the actors.

The emotional exploration of the idle life left the audience with no visible light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, we were left with a smile, some hope and a promise that one day, eventually, there will be rest.

 

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