‘Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike’ opens at Dover

The play that opens at Dover Little Theatre tonight features three siblings who live near a cherry orchard and who lament the passage of time and lost opportunities.

At this point, literature aficionados may sense familiar echoes of Anton Chekhov, the influential Russian playwright who is considered one of the fathers of modern drama.

However, director Alison Devereaux emphasizes the fact that audiences need not know Chekhov from a checkerboard to appreciate the play, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” by Christopher Durang.

True, the first three names in the play’s title are found in Chekhov works, notably “Uncle Vanya” and “The Three Sisters.” And yes, one of the Russian’s most famous plays is “The Cherry Orchard.”

“There are huge echoes of Chekhov,” says Devereaux. “If you know Chekhov, you can appreciate the play on a different level. But it’s not necessary. The play is funny on its own.”

She points out the fourth name in the title – the oafish Spike, played by Michael Jay of Budd Lake – provides a decidedly non-Chekhovian touch. “Spike is an idiot, but in a lovably idiotic way,” Devereaux says. “Michael is hysterical.”

The other title roles are played by Neil Fitzpatrick of Randolph as Vanya, Kate Blazo of Randolph as Sonia, and Debbie Badal of Morristown as Masha.

Rounding out the cast are Stephanie Knerr as the cleaning woman Cassandra (who, like her counterpart in Greek mythology, delivers prophecies that are either ignored or misunderstood) and Mackenzie Miller of Rockaway as Nina, a neighbor.

As with Chekhov, one of the themes of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is the way the past haunts the characters. For example, Sonia is melancholy about being stuck in the same house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where she has always lived.

Masha tries to overcome her own fear of the past through her relationship with Spike, whom Devereaux describes as “Masha’s boy-toy.”

The most Chekhov-like moment comes in the second act, when Vanya delivers a lengthy monologue about life in the 1950s. “It’s six pages long, which is enormous. It’s one bear of a speech,” Devereaux says. “God bless Neil for doing it.”

Devereaux says her own challenge in directing “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is the fact that so much of the play consists of characters sitting around talking.

“This is a play that is deceptively simple,” she says. “It seems very straightforward. But there’s a lot going on under the surface.”

She stresses that the play is primarily a comedy, and she hopes that audiences will appreciate that aspect of the script. “It’s a good time,” she says. “If you want to dig deeper into it, you can. But if you don’t feel like that, you can just laugh.”

“What I take out of this play is that it’s full of hope,” Devereaux says. “Things can get better. Relationships do improve. Who you are today is not necessarily who you’ll be for the rest of your life.”

“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” which won the Tony for best play in 2013, debuted at McCarter Theatre in Princeton in 2012. Devereaux says she is pleased that the Dover production marks the play’s New Jersey community theater debut.

In addition, Devereaux says that she is happy that the comedy is kicking off Dover Little Theatre’s 83rd season.

“This is the first time in at least 30 years that we’re doing five main-stage shows,” she says. “That’s really exciting.” The theater is also planning to introduce a capital improvement campaign later in the season.

“In times like these, you need to laugh,” Devereaux says. “This play gives you a reason to laugh.”

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE

WHAT: Christopher Durang’s Tony-winning comedy about three middle-aged siblings carries echoes of the plays of Anton Chekov. But the story veers off in its own loopy direction to deal with themes of loss, self-doubt, self-delusion, and ultimately reconciliation.

WHEN: Through Aug. 22.

8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays,

2 p.m. Sundays.

WHERE: Dover Little Theatre,

69 Elliott St., Dover.

TICKETS: $17. Discount for groups of 10 or more.

INFORMATION: 973-328-9202 or www.doverlittletheatre.org