Chekhov classic comes to the Sandra R. Courtney Community Playhouse

Source: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Calif.24小時迷你倉Jan. 21--RIALTO -- Jim Skousen is thrilled to be directing the Rialto Community Players' latest theatrical performance, "Uncle Vanya."The play opens at the Sandra R. Courtney Community Playhouse on Feb. 8. and runs through March 2 at 150 E. San Bernardino Ave.The tragic comedy written by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov takes place in the late 1800s and studies human behavior, relationships and even the environment."It's a dream to direct this play for most people," Skousen said. "The characters are so wonderful, and the play talks about deforestation and planting of trees. When I read this, I thought, 'Did he just write this yesterday because it's so topical?'"Long-suffering Uncle Vanya yearns for the professor's wife, Elena, a desire made even more painful by the realization that he has wasted his life serving her husband. Meanwhile, the professor's daughter longs for the doctor, who only has eyes for Elena. And, just when it seems that things couldn't go any more awry, the professor has an announcement that could change the lives of the entire household, according to Playscripts.com."This is one of the classics -- you always read it in college, hear about it, it's always around, but you never get to see it," said Robert Merrill of Riverside, who plays Astrov in the play. "It's something different. And kudos to Rialto for putting on a play like this. It's a classic that is not part of the translational community theater fare."Skousen chose to direct the play aft迷你倉旺角r theater officials found out they couldn't obtain the proper rights to put on the play, "Don't Dress for Dinner.""I think that's what makes this play so universal, is that people are in love with the wrong people or they attach themselves to the wrong person, and this is not from a time, but from any time," said Sally Norton of Redlands, who plays Marina."But this whole conservation issue about saving the trees -- we're still trying to save our trees, and humanity has encroached on the forest in the last 100 years, so we even have evaded and taken things and used them and not replanted."Sandy Courtney -- who was entrusted by the city of Rialto to start a community theater in 1982 -- said there is so much sophisticated entertainment now that community theater is sometimes on the back burner."People who work at our theater are volunteers, so you have to make it fun," she said. "Especially if you're going to be a volunteer and put in all the time to put on a play."For 30 years Courtney has served as president of the board, and for her years of volunteering, Rialto City Council voted in February 2012 to name the playhouse after her, and a month later, she was recognized during the University of Redlands Town and Gown Women of Distinction ceremony."You're in good company when you get awards like that," she said.Copyright: ___ (c)2014 the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.) Visit the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.) at .dailybulletin.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage