Larry Grimm as Vanya/Photo: George Hudson

Rae Gray as Yelena/Photo: George Hudson

It’s not always easy to lure Chicago theatergoers out of their comfy homes into the icy January night. But The New Theatre Project has managed to draw turn-away crowds to its production of “Uncle Vanya,” Anton Chekhov’s tragicomic look at existential discontent, romantic failure and social malaise. Starring a bevy of local luminaries—including Lawrence Grimm as the embittered Vanya; Jonathan Weir as his cosmically oblivious brother-in-law, the Professor; Rae Gray as the Professor’s bored young wife, Yelena; and Richard Esteras (who plays Manny on the popular Chicago-set TV series, “The Bear”) as the humble family retainer, Waffles—the show, presented on a pay-what-you-wish basis, filled up within twenty-four hours of its Instagram announcement.

The buzz owes more to the show’s where than its what. Like the first play attempted by The New Theatre Project—Caryl Churchill’s “Far Away,” produced in March 2024—“Vanya” is being put on within the bare, echoing confines of the North Side’s Servi-Sure factory, a seriously real-world place that makes titanium anodizing racks for industry. The play will be enacted on an alley-like stage between two sets of folding chairs, with a seating capacity of about thirty-five.

Rather than reviewing a play for which no tickets can be had, it seemed more sensible to talk to the theater company’s three principles—director Spencer Huffman, producing partner LC Bernadine and producer (and Servi-Sure owner) Chris Angus—in order to find out how and why Chekhov’s wry, wistful, Russian countryside-set drama is being performed to full houses in a functioning metal-bending shop next to Rosehill Cemetery. The interview was conducted by email and edited lightly for space and clarity.

Obviously, the venue is what sets this production apart. Why a working factory? What do environments like this offer that more traditional spaces do not?
Spencer Huffman: First of all, factory owner Chris Angus very kindly offers us the space for free. Rehearsal and performance space is typically a prohibitive cost, and this was one good reason to accept the offer. Making theater outside of typical theater spaces presents some challenges, but it also offers you something. Your design concepts should engage the setting, while also helping to transport the audience elsewhere. It’s a difficult balance, but when struck, it can offer a vivid, immersive theatrical experience.

Why “Vanya”? How does it fit into this setting?
SH: This industrial setting doesn’t lend itself to any play. Part of Caryl Churchill’s “Far Away,” our first production at Servi-Sure, takes place in a dystopian hat-making factory, so that made it a good fit. “Uncle Vanya” is set on a fading, rural Russian estate in the 1890s, so it’s a tougher gap to bridge. The lofty, sprawling factory space, combined with Emily Blanquera’s simple but beautiful set design, evokes the estate without representing it literally.

The play is about many things, but one of its main themes is apathy. There was something provocative to me about setting a play about apathy in a place where real people work during the day. To me, it accentuated Vanya’s personal descent into listlessness, boredom and resentment. Also, I’ve noticed increasing apathy and resentment among my generation. I’m twenty-nine, and I’ve witnessed my peers adopt a fundamentally pessimistic outlook, almost like a midlife crisis coming early. I think “Vanya” is relevant to a younger generation… relevant to something happening right now.

Olivia Lindsay and Rae Gray/Photo: George Hudson

What are the technical challenges of doing Chekhov on a factory floor?
SH: Almost our entire set comes from within the factory—this was a guiding principle for our design. A couple of examples: The factory produces small titanium parts, which are punched out of large titanium sheets. After the parts are punched, the remaining sheet has these wonderful patterns created by the negative spaces left by the punched parts. So, we hung the sheets to evoke wallpaper. And all the furniture used on the set comes from the factory floor.

A huge benefit of producing “Vanya” in the factory is that we are able to use real candles. Flame is not allowed in theater spaces in Chicago, but we’re not in a theater, so we use candles throughout. There’s no replacement for actual flame. So, I see most of the challenges of site-specific theater as opportunities. At the end of the day, we’re producing a great play with great actors. The design and technical elements are secondary to the story and their performances.

Olivia Lindsay as Sonya/Photo: George Hudson

How did you manage to round up an all-star cast for such an unusual, small-scale show?
SH: I just asked them… it’s only half a joke. Olivia Lindsay, my closest artistic collaborator who was also in “Far Away” at the factory last year, signed on to play Sonya. And then I approached Rae Gray and Jonathan Shaboo, both of whom are close friends. They signed on and recommended I chat with their friends Larry Grimm and Jonathan Weir. When they said yes, we suddenly had a pretty sleek cast. From there we auditioned for the remaining roles and, due in part to the pedigree of the pre-cast actors, we received a lot of interest. Most actors want to work on great plays—they want a shot at legendary roles.

So how exactly did a factory owner get involved in producing plays?
Chris Angus: LC and Spencer came to visit the factory, and we sat down over lunch. I pretended to have serious questions, but in truth, I was ready to say yes the minute they started talking about what they had in mind. Spencer had a vision for what he wanted to do, and the whole venture was exactly the sort of thing that intrigues me and that I’m open to supporting. How can you not be impressed by big ideas and creative energy? It’s contagious.

Servi-Sure lives in a world that’s very different from the world of theater, so on both sides, I think it was fun to jump the wall, and see what language was being spoken on the other side. I appreciated the chance to do something new and different in a space I thought I had seen in every possible light. This was new light. Which is what theater should be.

Larry Grimm as Vanya with Jonathan Weir as The Professor/Photo: George Hudson

Have rehearsals been a problem? Did the performers and props get in the way?
CA: Everything happened after hours, so it wasn’t too disruptive. As I told LC, overall, it was a bit like those children’s books where magical people secretly live in your house, but nobody sees them. Our employees were amazingly patient, and I know Spencer and his actors were grateful and as careful as they could be. Except during tech week. I’m kidding. Just thought I’d say “tech week” as a now-seasoned theater insider who knows the term.

With very little publicity, “Vanya” sold out its whole run almost instantly, with a two-hundred-name waiting list to boot. Why do you think it’s such a hot ticket?
LC Bernadine: It’s hard to break down the chemistry that leads to a hot ticket. Certainly part of it is having a high-profile and accomplished cast; having Spencer as director, whose reputation is terrific and whose work is on everyone’s watch list; and of course doing it in such an intriguing and unusual location. In addition to all that, I think there’s something about the audaciousness of doing it at all—I mean as an independent production—that attracts people, and reflects some core spirit of Chicago theater.

And then, of course, there’s Chekhov, who has a few fans. Larry Grimm said he’s been chasing Chekhov as an actor for years. I can’t tell you the number of people who said they couldn’t wait to see him as Vanya.

Jonathan Shaboo and Rae Gray/Photo: George Hudson

How do you describe New Theatre Project? What is its mission?
SH: The New Theatre Project’s goals are simple: to create provocative, high-quality theater. We make theater to move people, to spark transcendent experiences. We do not set out to change minds, although we may, or to comment on the state of the world, although we will. We focus on the process and, in doing so, the product.

LCB: Spencer, who created The New Theatre Project, envisioned it from the start as what it is now: a loose collection of Chicago-based theater artists who have purposefully avoided “institutionalizing” the group because we see no need. At the moment, we are working to expand opportunities for both artists and audiences on a project-specific basis.

How did the partnership among the three of you develop?
LCB: Spencer and I have developed and partnered on many projects together over the last five or six years, co-hosting writers’ retreats and table reads for fellow playwrights, co-writing plays, and supporting each other as theater artists and friends. This is how good things always happen, right? Spencer and I bounce a lot of ideas off each other, and share an entrepreneurial streak, something we have in common with Chris.

I’ve known Chris for many years, and introduced him to Spencer when Spencer was considering locations for his production of Caryl Churchill’s “Far Away.” Doing the show in a factory was a wild idea, but also classic roll-up-your-sleeves, down-and-dirty Chicago storefront style. On the night the show closed, Chris turned to us and asked, “What are we doing next?” Which led to his support of “Uncle Vanya.”

There’s a pay-what-you-can admission policy for “Vanya.” Just curious, why?
LCB: Two reasons, really. We wanted to keep “Vanya” affordable for audiences, and also affordable for us as producers, since we’re working with Equity actors, and a pay-what-you-will structure puts us into a different category in terms of costs.

What do you hope the audience gets out of this show?
SH: Despite the unique setting, my goals are simple. I want to do this great play justice. I want to move people. I want people to leave and say: That was a beautiful play.

“Uncle Vanya” runs through February 1 at Servi-Sure, 2020 West Rascher. Tickets are no longer available.

Jonathan Shaboo as Astrov/Photo: George Hudson