BY STEPHANIE KEMPLE ’25

Minor Character: 6 Translations of Uncle Vanya at the Same Time, directed by Emily Moler, used synchronized choreography, singing, and rhythm to portray a cohesive, yet fast-moving visual and auditory story. The production utilizes six separate translations of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, varying from traditional translations such as Marian Fell’s 1910s translations to a translation done by Google Translate. Having watched it on opening night, I felt that each of the acts–boldly announced on the whiteboards on stage–differed between each other, so I feel it is fitting that I describe this journey chronologically to the reader, in hopes of imitating my experience. 

Coming into the theater, all of the actors — Emma Froelich ’25, Jordan Azzinaro ’26, Javier Soto ’25, Georgie Svrcek ’25, George Fortin ’26, Ben Harris ’27, Darren Jackson-Wilkins ’25, and Josh Lucey ’25 — were on stage, stretching and getting themselves ready for the performance to come. As someone who knew that this was a part of the underlying story, actors who were trying to figure out Uncle Vanya through the use of these different translations, I was not surprised. From some first-time theater goers however, it was unexpected. I had to explain to my roommate that the show had not started yet. 

When the lights finally dimmed, the actors arranged themselves in a line, and started singing in unison. In hindsight, I wonder if this was an abstract representation of the actors doing vocal warm ups before jumping into the chaotic script of the play. The sound was very soothing and calming, a foreshadowing of the gradual pace of Act 1. Once the singing was done, the actors took a seat at a row of chairs upstage. Then one actor came on stage to recite their monologue, putting on a costume piece associated with that character. 

A very intricate and impressive detail of this production worth mentioning are the costumes. Because each actor would switch into different characters, it was important that the audience was able to follow along. They tackled this problem by having bright, distinguishable colors associated with each character that the actors would put on whenever they would switch to that character. Additionally, each actor on stage would have their own sets of costumes, meaning the costume team had to create 64 pieces in total: truly a feat! As an audience member, they both facilitated my being able to keep up with the story, but also created compelling visuals on stage. 

In Act 2, unlike the beginning, actors were onstage, all performing their monologues at the same time–a complete change of pace. This allowed for multiples of the same characters to be on stage. One image I remember is when there were 3 characters of Nina-represented by bold red clothing–sitting at three separate tables next to 3 Sonyas–represented by calm blue attire. Each had slightly different blocking which showed a slightly different story. It was really exciting to dart my eyes between each table. The overlaying voices created a cacophony of sound which made the quiet and the completely synchronized beats stand out even more. The play followed through scenes of Uncle Vanya in this frenzied, yet choreographed way until Act 3.

In Act 3, a new element was introduced: the actors started using a microphone. One of the play’s largest themes is the disconnection between people who are meant to be your family. So the use of a microphone, a tool meant to amplify the voice, could be seen as a metaphor for wanting to be heard. These disconnections are also enriched by the variety of translations; there is a clear disconnect between those speaking in Google Translate and those speaking in the words of Fell or another translator.

This is also the point in the story when Uncle Vanya’s needs are being disregarded by Serebryakov, who wants to sell the house he lives in and move to Finland. In this scene years of resentment boil over as Uncle Vanya decides the only solution is to shoot Serebryakov. I felt goosebumps in the confrontation between the two before the shoot out, and wish I could see it again. Everyone was seated but the two of them, emphasizing the weight of this argument. A few scenes later, we get Nina and Astrov alone together, emphasizing the weight of their union. Act 4 ends with one actor on stage as he recites Sonya’s ending lines, offering Vanya a vision of a future reward in heaven. The moment was addressed to the audience, and I felt the bittersweet meaning of the words. I left stunned by the amount of emotions I needed to process after experiencing the production. Minor Character, was both a visual and auditory experience that through rhythm and movement both challenged and inspired the audience.

Photos by Sue Kessler

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Stephanie Kemple ’25 is a Staff Writer for the Skidmore Theater Living Newsletter