SONIA Well I have feelings too! I’m unhappy too! I haven’t lived. You’ve had five marriages, they failed, but you had them. My relationships with men have been limited to “here’s your change, ma’am,” at the supermarket. I took care of YOUR parents, Vanya and I did, and then we never left because . . . we didn’t know how to leave. We became numb during those 15 years taking care of them.

MASHA Well I’m sorry you felt numb, but I was working so I could pay the bills.

SONIA And then when they both got Alzheimer’s! His was worse, he was always taking off his clothes, and going to the neighbors’ garage where he’d sit naked in their car until they came out to use it. We were always apologizing for him.

MASHA This is all in the past. Get over it.

SONIA You just left us here. If I tried to reach you, you were always filming in Morocco or something. After a while they stopped recognizing me. But they talked about you constantly. “Where is Masha?” they’d say to me. “She’s making a fucking movie,” I said. And they’d say, “Isn’t that wonderful. She’s so pretty and delightful.” And then I’d change their diapers, all the while thinking why isn’t Masha here?

MASHA I was paying the bills! I was paying your bills. I paid for the house, the doctors, the food. I paid for the snow plowing. I paid for the lawn care. I paid for the heat, the electricity, I sent you both a monthly stipend because I knew you couldn’t work and what you were doing was hard. And I’m sorry if you hated taking care of them, but someone had to earn the money to pay for it all, and it was ME!

SONIA I didn’t hate taking care of them. I just said it was hard. And sometimes I liked it. They needed me, they needed Vanya. When they died, I felt sad . . . sadder than you. You didn’t cry once at the funerals.

MASHA I hide my feelings.

SONIA Nonsense, you parade your feelings. You put them on display on stage and in the movies. It’s exhausting to be around you.

MASHA And you exhaust me. Your self-pity exhausts me!

SONIA And I’m glad my costume stole your thunder, and that people liked me as Maggie Smith, and thought I was fun, I liked that. But so what? My life is pointless. I haven’t lived! I haven’t lived! (she cries)

MASHA (while Sonia is crying) Well I have lived and made my money and messed up all my relationships, and now I have nothing! No one loves me, I have no future, my life is over! (she cries)

They both cry violently.

Vanya returns, carrying a tray with a teapot and three cups and saucers. He’s shocked by their upset.