Photo Credit Maria Baranova, Sharon Playhouse 2017
New Saloon’s irreverent mashup of English-language translations of Uncle Vanya – from the dusty 1916 edition to Google Translate’s whack results – is a kaleidoscopic amplification of Chekhov's depressing comedy. Each character is interpreted by multiple actors and through multiple translations, in an athletic attempt to say one true thing. “I’ve been made a complete fool,” Vanya says, “foolishly betrayed,” Vanya agrees, “stupidly cheated,” Vanya clarifies.
“The delightful MINOR CHARACTER...turns a play that has been an autumnal meditation on aging into a spring-green forum on youth’s discontents.”
“It embodies the very heart, essence, and feelings of Chekhov.”
MINOR CHARACTER has been performed multiple times. The first two acts were shown at The Invisible Dog in 2015 featuring David Arveiller, Leonie Bell, Maxwell Cosmo Cramer, Milo Cramer, Jonathan Gordon, Susan Karpman, Matthew Korahais, Alex Mickiewicz, Hannah Mitchell, Caitlin Morris, Anna Reichert, Mathilde Schennen, Djaka Souare, Peter Mills Weiss, and Madeline Wise.
All four acts premieres one year later, in 2016 at The Invisible Dog, featuring Brittany Allen, Vinie Burrows*, Ugo Chukwu*, Constance Cooper, Milo Cramer, Fernando Gonzalez, Jonathan Gordon*, David Greenspan*, Tommy Heleringer*, Chris Henry*, Veronica Hunsinger-Loe, Hannah Mitchell, Caitlin Morris, Craig Mungavin*, Jeanna Phillips*, and Madeline Wise*.
In January, 2017, it was featured in the Under the Radar Incoming! festival at The Public Theater featuring Featuring Rachel Christopher, Milo Cramer, Austin Durant, Fernando Gonzalez, David Greenspan, Caitlin Morris, Sarah Tolan-Mee, and Madeline Wise.
That summer, it had a three week run at the Sharon Playhouse in Sharon, Connecticut featuring Milo Cramer, Fernando Gonzalez, David Greenspan, Jamal James, Kennedy Kanagawa, Caitlin Morris, Anne Troup, and Madeline Wise.
In January 2019, MINOR CHARACTER played to it’s largest house yet at The Under the Radar Festival, featuring Milo Cramer, Ron Domingo, Rona Figueroa, Fernando Gonzalez, David Greenspan, LaToya Lewis, Caitlin Morris, and Madeline Wise.
The play will next be produced with an entirely new creative team in the 2020-2021 season at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia.
Created by New Saloon (Morgan Green, Milo Cramer, and Madeline Wise)
Directed by Morgan Green
Dramaturg: Elliot B. Quick
Composer: Deepali Gupta
Producer: Caroline Gart
Stage Manager: Katherine Shelton
Music Director: Robert Frost
Scenic Designer: Kristen Robinson
Costume Designer: Alice Tavener
Lighting Designer: Masha Tsimring
Sound Designer: M. Florian Staab
Text: Anton Chekhov
Translations: Marian Fell, Laurence Senelick, Paul Schmidt, Carol Rocamora, Milo Cramer, and Google Translate
This project was developed, in part, in the Resident Artists Program 2015 of Mabou Mines and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace Residency. This project was supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. New Saloon is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Co-produced by Immediate Medium.