Vanya on 42nd Street (1994)

Director:

Louis Malle

Writers:

Anton Chekhov (play)
David Mamet (play)

Release Date:

19 October 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

New York actors rehearse Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" in a rundown theater.

Plot Keywords:

Theater | Foreign Language Adaptation | 42nd Street New York City | Times Square New York City | Manhattan New York City

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Phoebe Brand	...	Nanny
Lynn Cohen	...	Maman
George Gaynes	...	Serybryakov
Jerry Mayer	...	Waffles
Julianne Moore	...	Yelena
Larry Pine	...	Dr. Astrov
Brooke Smith	...	Sonya
Wallace Shawn	...	Vanya
Andre Gregory	...	Himself
Madhur Jaffrey	...	Mrs. Chao

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:G | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

New Amsterdam Theater - 214 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Channel Four Films

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Melinda and Melinda (2004)

Remarkable filming of a play

The idea of filming a play gets turned upside down as we see the players before and after the (rehearsal) performance, essentially as themselves. One remarkable scene shows the cast during intermission chatting with each other and audience members while munching on goodies from a caterer. It gives the experience of watching a play in an old, run-down theater, including comments from the director.

The play itself is no less remarkable. Shawn is a gifted actor, one of the few who can bring his entire body into a role. The rehearsal atmosphere takes some getting used to - it's hard to tell when real life ends and the play starts. There are no costumes, little in the way of sets, but it all works because the performances are so compelling. And Chekhov's Uncle Vanya is surprisingly relevant 100 years after it was written.