Sherri L. Edelen appears as Sonia in Arena Stage’s rollicking production of Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. The show opens on April 3, just in time for Cherry Blossom celebrations.
I started off by asking Sherri if she has any cherry blossom stories.
“In my 27 years in the area, only one,” Sherri responded. “Years ago, my mom was in town and I asked if she wanted to walk around the Tidal Basin to see the cherry trees. We spent most of the time looking for a place to park. We ended up getting a parking ticket that day…but the blossoms were beautiful!
Now, I am happy to look at the cherry trees from a distance as I ride into DC on my commute to Arena for the show. Plus, I have cherry trees in my yard. The blossoms look like snow on the branches in spring.”
Sherri now lives in Fredericksburg with her husband, actor Thomas Adrian Simpson.
When asked what she thought about being in a Chekhov spin-off play, she said she had never seen a production of any Chekhov – ever! So, no judgment there.
I then asked Sherri if she had had any real life experiences similar to the rocky and comedic sibling relationships depicted in Christopher Durang’s hit comedy?
She laughed. “This play is actually a little too close to home for me, minus the comedy. So I’m discovering the comedy in my experiences as we work on the play. It’s good therapy!”
By: Sheila Wickouski