Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Can you name your kids after Chekhov characters and not expect their lives to tumble headfirst into hilarious disarray? The answer is nope for the family at the center of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the Tony Award-winning play by Christopher Durang. Vanya and Sonia just want to live out their days quietly, but that becomes impossible after a homecoming by their B-list celebrity sister (and her much-younger friend with benefits, Spike). This very funny show, presented by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, combines outlandish characters with Chekhovian themes. The results: delightful.

Tue.-Sun. (Mar. 20-Apr. 12). Loretto-Hilton Center on Webster University's campus (130 Edgar Road; 314-968-4925 or www.repstl.org). $17.50 to $79.50.
Wednesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Sat., March 21, 5 p.m.; Sun., March 22, 2 & 7 p.m.; Tuesdays, 7 p.m.; Sat., March 28, 5 p.m.; Sun., March 29, 2 p.m.; Sat., April 4, 5 & 9 p.m.; Sun., April 5, 2 p.m.; Sat., April 11, 5 p.m.; Sun., April 12, 2 & 7 p.m. Starts: March 20. Continues through April 12, 2015