Photo Flash: First Look at Mad Horse Theatre's LIFE SUCKS

Mad Horse Theatre Company presents LIFE SUCKS. by Aaron Posner March 21 - April 7, 2019 at Mad Horse Theatre Company, 24 Mosher Street, South Portland, ME. LIFE SUCKS. is a brash, irreverent reworking of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.

LIFE SUCKS. (the period is part of the title) is Aaron Posner's thoroughly entertaining and spot-on adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. A group of old friends, ex-lovers, estranged in-laws, and lifelong enemies gather to grapple with life's thorniest questions - and each other. What could possibly go wrong? Incurably lustful and lonely, hapless and hopeful, these seven souls collide and stumble their way towards a new understanding that LIFE SUCKS. Or does it?

Company member and Director Nick Schroeder describes the play this way: "It may appear to be a downer, but Aaron Posner's adaptation of Uncle Vanya is a ton of fun. It's an incredible ensemble piece brimming with energy, wit, and compassion, and allows its seven actors to confront together the darker questions of the human condition that Chekhov's original characters battled alone."

The cast includes company member Janice Gardner and guest artists David Butler, Emily Grotz, Paul Haley, Deborah Paley, Phoebe Parker, and Joe Quinn. The production crew includes company members Reba Askari (Production Manager, Costumes), Corey Anderson (Lighting Design), and Nick Schroeder (Set Design), and guest artists Lauren Stockless (Stage Manager), Arsen Scheindel (Assistant Stage Manager).

Aaron Posner is an American playwright and theatre director. He was co-founder of the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia. He has directed over 250 productions at major regional theatre companies across the country. He has won many awards including five Helen Hayes Awards, two Barrymore Awards, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the John Gassner Prize, a Bay Area Theatre Award, an Eliot Norton Award, and many more.

"If you enjoyed Posner's Stupid F*#king Bird you will absolutely LOVE this one. Chekhov's work is about people, his characters and what makes their minds do what it is they do. The human is a complex being made up of many feelings, traits and emotions. Can we all see our own strengths and weaknesses? " - Alan Bresloff, Around the Town Chicago

"Life Sucks is one of the best contemporary adaptations I've seen of any play. It's authentic to Chekhov's source material and it also has a sense of originality of its own. "- Justin LeClair, Splash Magazines

LIFE SUCKS. runs March 21- April 7, 2019, at Mad Horse Theatre Company in the historic Hutchins School, 24 Mosher Street, South Portland.

Performance times are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2 pm. There will be an opening night reception immediately following the Friday, March 22 performance. Everyone is invited to stay after the show, enjoy light snacks, and mingle with the cast, crew, and fellow theater lovers.

Talkbacks are scheduled for Sunday, March 24 and Sunday March 31 immediately following the 2 pm matinee. This is an opportunity to discuss the play with the director and actors.

Tickets are $23 for adults and $20 for seniors. If you are under 25, tickets are pay-what-you-can for all performances. As always, Mad Horse offers pay-what-you-can performances for all ages during the first two Thursday performances and one Sunday matinee. Pay-what-you-can dates for LIFE SUCKS. are Thursday, March 21, Sunday, March 24 and Thursday, March 28. Pay-what-you-can tickets are only available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Reservations are strongly recommended. Purchase tickets online at www.madhorse.com or call 747-4148 for more information. Please call for group rates.

Photo Credit: Craig Robinson