Belleville West Little Theatre presents spring contest drama

Belleville West Little Theatre will present its annual contest drama, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” on Thursday.

Middle-aged siblings Vanya (sophomore Wade Cook) and Sonia (junior Rachel Deschaine) share a home in Bucks County, Pa. They bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. Suddenly, their move-star sister, Masha (senior Bailey Guinn), swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike (senior Henry Holm). Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house.

Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra (junior Janae Robinson), who can predict the future, and aspiring young actress Nina (senior Tara Luhning), whose prettiness somewhat worries Masha.

Belleville West is one of the first non-professional theaters to produce this comedy, the winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play, by Christopher Durang.

Belleville West will compete against other area schools to win a berth in the IHSA state tournament. This year’s sectional competition is Friday and Saturday.

The production is directed by Laurie Bielong and John Lodle. Student directors are seniors Nate Ackermann, Nathan Hirst, Heather Holdman, Brandi Karbowiak, Alexis Radde and Michelle Woods; junior Bre McCrary; and sophomore Sarah Hayden.

Thursday’s performance is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Belleville West Performing Arts Center, 4063 Frank Scott Parkway West. Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for adults.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 8:54 AM with the headline "Belleville West Little Theatre presents spring contest drama."