FUSION Theatre Company is getting the ball rolling on its 2025 spring season with an acclaimed adaptation of a Chekhov classic.
FUSION’s presentation of Tony Award nominee Conor McPherson’s take on Uncle Vanya opens Feb. 6 and runs through Feb. 16. Director Jacqueline Reid says the play has everything: violence, passion, malaise and laughs.
“It’s a fast-moving journey through these very high-strung, loud people who find a way to survive and thrive no matter what,” she says.
Performances will be held in FUSION 708, the theater company’s newest venue located in Downtown Albuquerque at 708 First St. NW. This modern version authentically captures the passion and portrays the hidden frustration of the characters in Anton Chekhov’s 1897 tragedy, but many reviewers have said McPherson’s adaptation emphasizes the dark humor that keeps the enduring tragedy relevant and relished by audiences more than a century after its release.
February’s production of Uncle Vanya at FUSION is directed by Jacqueline Reid and stars an all-local cast including Jim Cady, Paul Ford, Christine Grenier, Nancy Jeris, Ross Kelly, Angela Littleton, David Sinkus and Rachel Wiseman.
“It premiered right when COVID hit, so the production had to shut down, and the BBC just filmed it,” Reid says. “There’s great modern economy to the text itself. The Chekhov text and other translations are very verbose. This gets to the heart of the matter and finds that fine line between despair and euphoria.”
McPherson’s Uncle Vanya remains true to Chekhov’s narrative set in Ukraine in 1900, and tells the story of Sonya and her Uncle Vanya who have dedicated their lives to maintaining their isolated family estate. When Sonya’s father, Professor Serebryakov, brings his new wife Yelena to the family farm for a surprise visit, many secrets and unspoken desires are uncovered.
“It seems like every time we come to rehearsal, something has happened in the world that makes the timing of the show incredibly relevant,” Reid says. “This play is about the displaced. Between California, Palestine and even our political environment, many people feel displaced all around us.”
For tickets to this event, a schedule of 2025’s upcoming events and a full list of showtimes, visit FUSION’s website.
FUSION Presents: Uncle Vanya
Feb. 6 through 16
Thursdays and Fridays, 7 p.m.
Saturdays, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sundays, 3 p.m.
FUSION | 708
708 1st St. NW
General Admission: $40
Seniors over 65: $35
Students: $20