Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Ben Brantley of "The New York Times" described the play as a "sunny new play about gloomy people". Patrick Healy of "The New York Times" described it as a "black comedy about unhappy siblings". According to Robin Pogrebin of "The New York Times", "The play sets characters and themes from Chekhov in present day Bucks County, PA." The characters Vanya, Sonia and Masha are middle-aged siblings named after Chekhov characters. Their deceased parents were "college professors who dabbled in community theater". The character names are borrowed from Chekhov plays. Vanya is the protagonist in "Uncle Vanya" and Sonia is his
The Cherry Orchard and Gregory Stroud, and translated and adapted by Gregory Stroud. The Stage Center Theatre at Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Illinois, presented a new version of The Cherry Orchard, adapted and directed by Dan Wirth, in October, 2013. PK Productions will premiere a new version of The Cherry Orchard in November 2014 at the New Wimbledon Theatre. Adapted by director Patrick Kennedy, the production updates the setting to London in 1976. Directed by Katie Mitchell, The Cherry Orchard opened at The Young Vic Theatre in London on 10 October 2014 A production of the Michael Frayn translation is in production at