so i'm delighted that he is back on broadway with a very fine new play called "vanya and sonia and masha now, the title may tell you that it's kind of chris's comic take on the world of chekhov. and two of the actors from the play are with us today. they are the very, very talented kristine nielsen. welcome to "theater talk." >> thank you. >> and our old friend david hyde pierce, who's back -- you haven't been down here since "curtains," right, david? >> i think that's right. yeah, we were trying to remember the last time. i think it was "curtains." >> yeah, well, it's good to see you both. and i do look the chekhovian beard. >> thank you. >> haskins: oh, it's wonderful. >> so chekhov, they often say, they say his plays are comedies. many people consider chekhov's plays comedies. is chris's play, should it be considered a drama and not a comedy? how do you play it? how do you play a comedy talking about a comedy -- to get too meta here? is that possible? >> well, i think we're lucky that he's written a play about a family, you know, characters. so you start there, of course, and you just