Acting alum Ito Aghayere '12 will continue in her role as Eléna Andréevna in Conor McPherson's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya after a successful run at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The production, which concluded on March 25, 2025 will transfer to Washington, D.C.'s Shakespeare Theatre Company from March 30 through April 20, 2025.
Directed by Shakespeare Theatre Company Artistic Director Simon Godwin, this adaptation tells the story of an estate owner who returns with his new wife, Eléna (Aghayere), causing disruption among the household. As tensions rise and relationships fracture, the characters confront their unfulfilled aspirations.
Aghayere performs alongside Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington) as Iván Voinítsky (Uncle Vanya) and Tony Award winner John Benjamin Hickey as Mikhaíl Ástrov. The ensemble also includes Melanie Field as Sófya Aleksándrovna, Sharon Lockwood as Maríya Voinítsky, Tom Nelis as Aleksándr Serébryakov, Nancy Robinette as Marína Timoféevna, and Craig Wallace as Ílya Ílyich Telégin.
The San Francisco Chronicle called the production "transcendent," noting that "every moment in the show has the complexity of fine wine."
Aghayere recently appeared as Chris in POTUS at Geffen Playhouse and portrayed Guinan in Star Trek: Picard. Her Broadway credits include Junk and Bernhardt/Hamlet, while her Off-Broadway work spans productions at The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, and Signature Theatre. She earned a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for her performance in Familiar.
On screen, Aghayere has appeared in CBS's Carol's Second Act, The Blacklist, Elementary, and films including Logan Lucky directed by Steven Soderbergh. Before earning her MFA from Columbia's Theatre Program, Aghayere graduated from Duke University with a BA in Political Science and Theater Arts and interned at the White House during the Obama Administration.
The Uncle Vanya creative team includes scenic design by Robert Brill, costume design by Susan Hilferty and Heather C. Freedman, lighting design by Jen Shriever, and sound design by Darron L. West.
