The Little Theatre of Alexandria

About this show Even when we are adults, our families shape us. We learn to fend for ourselves through vicious sibling rivalry. We also find them to be our most loyal cheerleaders. Masha and Sonia are cheerleaders for Vanya's strange play. Vanya cheers on Sonia standing up for herself, and for being outgoing at the party. And nobody can hurt us or love us like a brother or sister. Truth hurts, and siblings don't pull punches.  At first, I saw Sonia as described by her sister: "sweet, sensitive, tedious Sonia. You can't face life, can you?" But it is Sonia's anger at this sister's condescending truth-telling that finally impels her out of her numbness to stand up for herself and literally step out of her shell. It is wonderfully ironic that it is the condescending and self-absorbed Masha who becomes Sonia's savior.  This family reminds us that support is not just about money, like the money that Masha spends on the house and everything

What do I find appealing about Cassandra and the show? Playing Cassandra lets me be dramatically wacky, and that’s always great fun.  Moreover, the characters I’ve played in my last three shows have been either somewhat or completely evil.  Cassandra is good-hearted (if a bit of a nut), and that’s a very nice change.   What have I learned about myself playing Cassandra? With this role, I had to stretch farther than usual to develop my character and her backstory. I’ve never known anyone quite like Cassandra!  Fortunately, the playwright gave me a lot to work with.  I also needed help on her gentle Pennsylvania Dutch accent, which Howard, our director, was happy to give.  What do I want the audience to experience/take away from the show? I hope that every audience member finds a situation or character in the show that s/he relates to.  This very funny show has many tender moments and serious themes.  If we as a cast treat those moments with both humor and respect