Why oh why, for instance, can’t he afford to live in the city?Īstrov, a local doctor and the object of Sonya’s secret affection, is miserable because he works too hard and can’t have a nice evening without being called to some emergency. This being Chekhov, Serebriakov is dissatisfied too. Not that they receive a word of thanks from the owner, Sonya’s father, Serebriakov (Robert Hogan), a self-important academic with a trophy second wife (Ms. He and his niece Sonya (Mandy Siegfried) have spent their lives working tirelessly to keep a grand country house afloat.

Dinklage shows vulnerability.Īnd in the end, Vanya is all about vulnerability and self-pity. Like his demanding superstar author who lets Will Ferrell have it for mistaking him for a little North Pole toymaker in “Elf.” Maybe audiences feel embarrassed when Mr. Like the dwarf actor he played in “Living in Oblivion” who was annoyed at being stereotyped. Dinklage turns in a title-role performance that alternates between admirable sureness and slightly flailing self-pity.īut maybe we feel more comfortable with minority-group actors when they’re talking back, speaking up, being tough. That is Peter Dinklage, the powerful 4-foot-5 actor who starred in the film “The Station Agent.” Directed by Erica Schmidt, his wife, Mr. Schilling has to do is slink across the stage in a short, clingy dress and high heels to cast her spell. In the uneven but always interesting production at Bard, the movie-star-beautiful Taylor Schilling has no problem. But not every pretty face can pull off Yelena’s goddess act. Almost any actress can drab herself down to be plain Sonya in Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya.” Cute Amy Ryan played her on Broadway, up against Laura Linney as Yelena, every man’s dream woman.

Uncle vanya paul schmidt