Ill-matched agemates tussle in this midlife morass

There’s a reason repertory companies are going the way of the dodo, and it’s not strictly budgetary: one maladaptive trait is the tendency to shoehorn stalwarts into unsuitable roles. In the Pearl Theatre Company’s rendering of this beloved chef d’oeuvre, Bradford Cover is optimally cast as Dr. Astrov, the dashing country physician/proto-ecologist who himself is fast going to seed. Although Chris Mixon overdoes the title character’s lovelorn sad-sack shtick, his Vanya is on the feisty side of morose, ensuring lively interactions. But as Sonya, Vanya’s niece and helpmeet, newcomer Michelle Beck is overly mild and distinctly not “plain.”