Murray State has had many plays performed in its various theatres, but not many of them have introduced themselves with a title like “Life Sucks.”
Written by Aaron Posner, “Life Sucks” is a reworking of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” an 1897 Russian play that studies hopelessness. “Life Sucks” follows the same plot and characters in a modernized setting with a more playful, comedic tone as a group of old friends, ex-lovers and lifelong enemies gather to grapple with life’s “thorniest” questions.
“Life Sucks” follows Vanya, who resides in the family’s country estate with his niece, Sonia, who is in love with the alcoholic Dr. Asher, who has been lingering around the estate because he is attracted to Sonia’s stepmother, Ella, who visits the estate occasionally with Sonia’s father, the Professor. Vanya hates the professor, Ella is tired of being the object of desire and in the mixture of all the chaos, the Professor declares his intent to sell the estate despite not owning it.
Madeline Hendrickson, freshman psychology major, plays Sonia, the quirky, insecure niece with a massive infatuation for Dr. Asher. Hendrickson said she feels connected in one way or another to each of the play’s characters.
“I knew nothing about the play, but as it went on, I got really excited to be able to play Sonia,” Hendrickson said. “Everyone in the cast is so talented and has made it come to life so well in such a short amount of time.”
Because of the recent bouts of poor weather conditions, many of the scheduled rehearsals were canceled, leaving some of the cast members nervous.
“The nerves this time around come(s) from the lack of practice we’ve been able to have due to the weather and other complications,” Hendrickson said.
Despite the weather, the only issues present in the play come from the romantic interest Dr. Asher, Vanya and the Professor have for Ella. Liv Lane, sophomore psychology major, said Ella is an intelligent woman disheartened by the constant romanticizing from her male acquaintances.
“She’s (Ella) vocally unhappy with her life, and she constantly questions everything,” Lane said. “I have a lot of fun with her because she’s always challenging and scolding the men who upset her, and I’d say she’s pretty relatable.”
Dedicated to their roles, the cast of “Life Sucks” practiced for weeks in preparation for the curtain call, each practice running two to three hours.
Unlike some plays, the cast of “Life Sucks” break the fourth wall during the performance, conversing and interacting with the audience throughout the show. It was for this reason that Holden Mast, senior theatre/film major, said he was interested in the play.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing exactly how the audience handles being talked at for the run of the show,” Mast said. “I wonder how enthused they are going to be to interact with the cast if they’re going to at all.”
The play opens at 7:30 p.m. from Feb. 27 to March 1 and at 2:30 p.m. on March 2 in Wilson Hall’s Studio Theatre on the third floor. Tickets are $10. Students get in free.
