The cast of Drunkle Vanya. Photo courtesy of LiveArtDC

By DCist Contributor Rachel Kurzius

Regretful people often seek salvation in bars. Drinking distracts them from their misery, for a time, and when they remember again, they have barmates to listen to their tales of woe. The characters of Drunkle Vanya all nurse disappointments with shots, swigs, and sometimes Smirnoff ice.

The basement of The Pinch, a divey bar on 14th Street in Columbia Heights, serves as the staging ground for this modern adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Brought to fruition by LiveArtDC, which took this immersive production from New York City’s Three Day Hangover, the show tries to reimagine the relationship between viewer and actor. Characters weave through the seated crowd, often stopping to perch by audience members and interact with them.

While Drunkle Vanya has modern references and takes place in the present, the plot remains loyal to Chekhov’s. A professor (Rasik Ohal) and his beautiful second wife Yelena (Rebecca Ellis) return to the country estate that fuels their bank account in the city. Their presence throws the rest of the country folk into disarray. The long and the short of it is that everyone feels like their lives haven’t amounted to much. While they claim to seek change, they generally find a stiff drink instead.

When the audience arrives in The Pinch’s basement, they’re handed a nametag with a card from the game Cards Against Humanity. They have purposefully bizarre words and phrases on them. At random points in the show, a character will say, “blank,” and the cast members hurry around the crowd, looking for the funniest card to fill that space. An actor decides which card wins and the winner and the actor both take a shot of vodka as the rest of the crowd cheers, “Nostrovia mutherfuckers!”

Because these moments are random by design, and do nothing to propel the show’s plot, they tire rather quickly. In LiveArtDC’s last showing, a Romeo and Juliet interpretation called R + J: Star Cross’d Death Match, the games moved the story forward, but this MadLibs-esque way of getting the crowd involved keeps interrupting the show’s flow. It also inflates the run-time, which is at least 20 minutes too long.

But there are more successful moments of audience interaction. Doctor Astrov (Kevin Hasser), an avowed environmentalist, gets audience members to play Twister as a way to show the degradation of nature. The moment is immersive, funny, and packs a narrative punch. Guitarist Bob Manzo accompanies actors as they sing songs like “Wrecking Ball” and “Blister in the Sun,” while the audience is invited to sing along.

The ringleader for the evening is Uncle Vanya (Karina Hilleard), the embittered brother-in-law of the professor, who has dedicated his life to the professor and now feels gipped. Having a woman play Vanya could be a fascinating choice, but the production never does anything with it. Hilleard’s British accent is initially confusing as well, but hearing her wrap her voice around lines like, “My future trophy wife, sometimes I dream we’re in a bubble bath of kittens,” makes it worth it.

Perhaps due to the surroundings, most of the actors spend the bulk of the show screaming their lines. Waffles (Jon Jon Johnson) is an exception, often whispering his optimistic observations to hilarious effect. Ohal as the Professor also shows a range, making clear why people could adore or resent him.

Drunkle Vanya, for better or worse, favors its concept of integrating with the audience for laughs above its storytelling. You will find that the best way to enjoy it is a method the show’s characters all know well—drink up.

Drunkle Vanya runs at The Pinch through April 25th. The show is 21+ only. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.