“The intimacy of the setting, with the audience close to the action, which takes place on minimal sets by Walt Spangler, certainly enhances the feeling that we are seeing these familiar characters with new eyes. But it is the director and his cast who are responsible for the production’s arresting freshness.”
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“What’s gained by staging Chekhov in the round, with actors just feet away, sometimes lit only by a candle? It’s what you’d expect: a wonderfully intense experience of the text...For those truly in love with the form, it isn’t enough that regular venues reopened; we need to share these great actors’ air, witness their close-up magic.”
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“We may not see the actors’ faces perfectly, but when the physical and vocal performances are this good, you don’t need to...Theatergoers looking for an unforgettable up-close theatrical experience won’t be disappointed, even when experiencing this story of overwhelming disillusionment.”
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"If this Vanya isn’t quite as moving or devastating as it should be, it is because Vanya himself feels marginalized, almost absent, in the production, a result of Serio’s direction and Cromer’s perhaps too restrained performance."
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“Just ninety people a night can squeeze into this loft production of ‘Uncle Vanya,’ which seems familiar almost before you see it...The director Jack Serio is inventive, but several actors need more time...Serio does his best work when voices are low, and he, Ireland, and Brill collaborate on a breath-stealing candlelit scene, which nearly undoes the plot itself to let its two star-crossed hearts fall in love.”
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