PhotosPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day With Philippe Bowgen, the Sexy "Spike" of Paper Mill's Vanya...The Paper Mill Playhouse production of the Tony-winning Christopher Durang play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike officially opened at the New Jersey venue Jan. 25 following previews that began Jan. 21. Philippe Bowgen, who stars as the sexy (often shirtless) "Spike," shares a recent-two-show day at the famed New Jersey venue.
By
Matthew Blank
February 11, 2015
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day With Philippe Bowgen, the Sexy "Spike" of Paper Mill's Vanya...
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day With Philippe Bowgen, the Sexy "Spike" of Paper Mill's Vanya...
The Paper Mill Playhouse production of the Tony-winning Christopher Durang play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike officially opened at the New Jersey venue Jan. 25 following previews that began Jan. 21. Philippe Bowgen, who stars as the sexy (often shirtless) "Spike," shares a recent-two-show day at the famed New Jersey venue.
32 PHOTOS
Equinox made Spike do it. This is how I get up and what I do to do it. So early. Rise and grind. And need coffee. Ugh. Sexy gym though.
Philippe Bowgen
This is my costume at the top the show…well, a few lines into the top of the show. That’s basically the face I make. Sexy, huh? #idiot
Philippe Bowgen
Some of these are costume shoes. Some of them are my personal shoes. Can you tell the difference? #problems
Philippe Bowgen
This is my mic pack. Can you figure out where it is? Hint, it’s ON MY BODY SOMEWHERE. SOMEWHERE PRIVATE.
Philippe Bowgen
Sometimes you have other auditions while you’re running the play. And by sometimes, I mean, it’s pilot season. So always. OMG.
A motion pic of the hallway of our dressing rooms, stage left. I think I was late for an entrance in the first show because I was taking pictures for some two-show day feature??
Philippe Bowgen
Jamie Ann Romero, my Nina. I’m about to carry her out on stage. Literally. Carry.
Philippe Bowgen
Told you.
Philippe Bowgen
Sorry, Jamie. This looks #inappropriate. I don’t even know. Thank you to our PA, Sarah, for taking the action shot.
Philippe Bowgen
Uh oh. Dwarf. Nina as a dwarf.
Philippe Bowgen
She was looking at this. Tony Danza. He is in Honeymoon in Vegas on Broadway which started here at the good ole’ Paper Mill.
Philippe Bowgen
Dopey Nina wants to do some peeking. Gross, Dopey.
Philippe Bowgen
This is Masha. She is amazing. And she’s famous. In the play and in real life, Carolyn McCormick is an incredible scene partner. #blessed.
Philippe Bowgen
Jamie and I needed a trip to Target on the break. This is a common occurrence on two show days. I’m basically naked this whole show…so yogurt has become the equivalent of a dessert. I am so sad. So so sad.
Philippe Bowgen
Jamie. Come on.
Philippe Bowgen
Ugly selfie. Meh.
Philippe Bowgen
Also Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) but oh so worth it. I feel like I can eat things here and not feel guilty about walking out for the evening show. Maybe? Not so true maybe.
Philippe Bowgen
Kombucha. Life blood. Especially on a two show day, especially in February.
Philippe Bowgen
Nap time. The first show ends at 4:00. Our half hour isn’t until 7:00.
Philippe Bowgen
Ugh. Of course I couldn’t sleep. Also, they do give us cots, but I like a hard floor for my back.
Philippe Bowgen
The other thing to do between shows, especially when you cant sleep is read. This is an amazing novel from the playwright Thornton Wilder (Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth) and it keeps mah mind fresh between three hour chunks of Spike brain.
Philippe Bowgen
In Vanya’s tirade at the end of the play, he talks about Old Yeller, the Disney movie starring Tommy Kirk. We found out that the dog that played Old Yeller was actually named SPIKE. Go figure. This was on my door before show two. Thanks SM staff.
Philippe Bowgen
This is on the way onto the stage. RIP. Legend.
Philippe Bowgen
Gary Mikkelson, our amazing PSM.
Philippe Bowgen
Shirtless photo before Act I of the second show. Oh come on, I had to. This is TAME.
Philippe Bowgen
My brightly colored inner/outerwear. Who are we kidding, my innerwear IS my outerwear in this show
Philippe Bowgen
Brightly colored flowers = happy dressing room. From a lovely fan.
Philippe Bowgen
Michelle Pawk, #Pawkstar, our Sonia brought DONUTS before show two. Really? All I can do is smell them. Not touchie. It’s embarrassing.
Philippe Bowgen
Our prod staff. Eating the donuts. Eat them so I don’t guys. EAT THEM.
Philippe Bowgen
This is my donut. 100 calories of sadness. It tastes sort of sweet….#spikediet
Philippe Bowgen
Carolyn didn’t want a photo. I begged. Half time in show two. We’re getting tirrrred.
Philippe Bowgen
I have one moment with my love, Debbie, during the show. We never interact otherwise. She likes to pose when I come off from a shirtless scene in my underwear and surprise me. I caught it on camera. This means the show is almost over and my two show day is over. What’s next? Sleep, rinse, repeat. I love my job. @philippebowgen on twitter, yo. xoxoxo Gossip Girl.
"The master of comedy, Christopher Durang, mixes six distinct characters and dishes up a hilarious stew in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, according to press notes. "Vanya and his adopted sister Sonia live a quiet life in the Pennsylvania farmhouse where they grew up, but their peace is disturbed when their movie star sister Masha returns unannounced with her twenty-something boy-toy, Spike. A weekend of rivalry, regret, and raucousness begins."
The production also has scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Leon Dobkowski, lighting design by Stephen Terry, original music and sound design by Mark Bennett, hair and wig design by Leah J. Loukas, scenic coordination by Amanda Stephens and casting by Telsey + Company. The production stage manager is Gary Mickelson.
Surrounded by period-accurate, 19th-century holiday decorations lit via candlelight, the 70-minute production is based on Dickens' own script of the classic.
The play comes on the heels of a broader cultural conversation about Dahl's work and the prejudice that was embedded in many of his most beloved stories.
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