Roberta Maxwell to Join Soho Rep's Intimate Uncle Vanya Off-Broadway

By Adam Hetrick
17 Jul 2012

Maria Dizzia and Michael Shannon
Maria Dizzia and Michael Shannon
Photo by Julieta Cervantes

Roberta Maxwell will join the cast of Annie Baker's acclaimed new adaptation of Uncle Vanya, replacing Rebecca Schull, beginning July 24 at Soho Rep.

The in-the-round production opened to critical acclaim June 17 under the direction of Sam Gold (Circle Mirror…, The Aliens). Soho Rep recently extended the run for a second time through Aug. 26.

Maxwell (Equus, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) will succeed Schull ("Wings") in the role of Maria. Schull is departing the production July 22 to fulfill previous commitments.

Gold's concept for Uncle Vanya places the audience and the cast together inside an A-frame house constructed within Soho Rep's home. Most of the theatregoers are seated on carpeted risers sitting cross-legged.

Reed Birney (Circle Mirror..., Blasted) stars in the title role of the Soho Rep staging, with Tony Award nominee Maria Dizzia (In the Next Room, Eurydice, Belleville) as Yelena; Georgia Engel (The Drowsy Chaperone, Middletown, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show") as Marina; Tony nominee Peter Friedman (Circle Mirror Transformation, Ragtime) as Serebryakov; Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon ("Revolutionary Road," "Boardwalk Empire," Mistakes Were Made) as Astrov; Matthew Maher (Orange, Hat & Grace) as Telegin; Paul Thureen (Buddy Cop 2) as Yefim; and Merritt Wever (The Illusion) as Sonya.

Baker also designed costumes for Vanya, which has set design by Andrew Lieberman, costume design by Baker, lighting design by Mark Barton and sound design by Matt Tierney.

Baker earned an Obie Award for her Off-Broadway hit Circle Mirror Transformation. Her plays also include The Aliens and Body Awareness. Playwrights Horizons will produce her newest play, The Flick, in 2013.

For tickets visit SohoRep. Soho Rep is located at 46 Walker Street in Manhattan.