JR Hartigan as Serebryakov, left, with Emily Soppe as Yelena, his much younger wife, in ‘Uncle Vanya.’ (All photos by Robbie Miles)
Life doesn’t always turn on what happens but on what doesn’t happen: missed opportunities, unspoken feelings, the things we wished we’d said.
That sense of inertia, slow erosion and helpless waiting runs deep through Anton Chekhov’s master work Uncle Vanya, and it’s captured with clarity and restraint in an intimate new production by Authenticity Theater, staged in the black box space at 7 Stages through June 21.
The same sense of suspended motion notably runs through the work of playwright Annie Baker, whose modern but unobtrusive translation anchors this production. Like Chekhov, Baker is a master of silence, subtext and emotional stasis. Her plays (The Flick, John, Circle Mirror Transformation) are often defined by what doesn’t get said — by the tension of small moments stretched thin. In many ways, she’s Chekhov’s theatrical grandchild, honoring the originator of this deeply modern tone. Her adaptation doesn’t announce itself but lets Chekhov breathe. She’s in the room, but you’ll barely notice her.
Chekhov was writing at the twilight of the Russian Empire, when the structures that had long defined national life were beginning to show their cracks. His characters ache for change but remain paralyzed by fear, habit or duty. That quiet collapse, that sense of societal fatigue and personal paralysis, feels hauntingly familiar in our own moment.
In one memorable scene, Yelena (Emily Soppe) and Sonya (Laura Byrom) speak earnestly of helping the poor and educating children, only to confess they likely never will. There’s a recognizable tension between voiced ideals and lived limitations. It’s where Uncle Vanya still resonates and where this production finds its depth.
As for the plot? Well, nothing happens. More concretely: Vanya (Mark Cosby) and his niece Sonya (Byrom) have labored for years to support the rural estate of Sonya’s stepfather, the pompous Professor Serebryakov (J.R. Hartigan). When he returns with his much younger wife Yelena (Soppe) and announces plans to sell the property, long-buried resentments and desires rise to the surface. The result is a slow burn of existential discontent and quiet heartbreak.
The production wisely keeps the time period intact — costumes, props and a minimalist set of tables and chairs place us firmly in turn-of-the-century Russia. But the setting was made more immediate on opening night by a storm-induced lighting glitch that forced the house lights to remain on. Exposed under full light, actors felt less theatrical, more human. Spoken stage manager cues like “lights up” and “lights down” added a raw, modern edge. It was an oddly fitting, if unplanned, effect.
Fortunately, the cast is strong. Hartigan’s Astrov has a compelling, slightly frayed charisma. Byrom’s Sonya is quiet and understated, with final moments that land gently but firmly. Cosby’s Vanya slouches with appropriate bitterness and weariness. One standout scene finds Yelena and Astrov studying deforestation maps — a simple moment that conveys romantic tension, moral grappling and quiet disillusionment. Baker’s translation shines here: sharp, human and unsentimental. And it’s shocking to hear Chekhov’s characters so plainly discussing climate change as their personal lives spin out. His prescience still startles.
Throughout the show, Director Jeremy Lee Cudd wisely lets the text lead. Some extended scene changes slow the momentum, and the pacing occasionally drags. Still, the production remains grounded in the complexities of human connection.
This isn’t a radical re-invention of Chekhov, and it doesn’t need to be. What Authenticity Theater offers is something rarer: a modest, emotionally attuned rendering of a timeless play. In an entertainment landscape often dominated by spectacle and easy laughs, it’s refreshing to see a small company commit fully to nuance, stillness and depth. For Chekhov lovers — or the Chekhov-curious — it’s worth seeing. And for anyone feeling the slow weight of our time, this Uncle Vanya might offer perspective.
Where & When
Authenticity Theater’s Uncle Vanya is in the black box theater at 7 Stages through June 21.
Tickets start at $20.
1105 Euclid Ave. NE.
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Andrew Alexander is an Atlanta-based writer.
