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- 8. October 2011: LIVES ON THE ROCKS
- 7. October 2011: YOU CAN PICK YOUR FRIENDS...
- 28. August 2011: GOING OUT WITH A BANG
- 7. August 2011: THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUSTING THE TEXT
- 4. August 2011: EVERYTHING'S "ALRIGHT"
- 30. July 2011: SHE’S A DIRTY, DIRTY GIRL
- 24. July 2011: HISTORY LESSONS WITH LAUGHS
- 23. July 2011: RING! RING! DON’T ANSWER THAT PHONE!
- 21. July 2011: ENTERTAINING FAMILY FARE FROM CLO
- 15. July 2011: ONE HORN OR TWO?
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THE TIES THAT BIND…AND STRANGLE
THE TIES THAT BIND…AND STRANGLE
F. J. Hartland
Meet the Westons…the warmest, fuzziest family since the Walton clan took twenty minutes to tell each other “good night.”
NOT!
In August: Osage County playwright Tracy Letts gives us a family so full of vitriol that you’ll find yourself saying, “Hey, my family doesn’t seem so bad…”
Alcoholic patriarch Beverly Weston (John DeVries) has gone missing. His pill-popping wife Violet (Oscar-winner Estelle Parsons) along with their three daughters (and other family members) have gathered at the family home. Before it’s all over, toxic secrets are revealed, relationships are shattered and lives crumble.
And did I mention it’s a comedy?
It’s NOT a comedy in the witty, urbane Noel Coward genre. But it’s a dark comedy with blistering dialogue that makes you laugh out loud…and then wonder “why am I laughing at this?” You laugh—even though you think you shouldn’t. It’s like trying to avert your eyes from an automobile accident.
August: Osage County is not for the faint of heart. There’s vulgarity, sexual situations, drug use and a slew of colloquialisms for female genitalia. But be brave–it’s worth it.
The cast is nothing short of brilliant. Each performance is nuance and memorable.
Estelle Parson is a national treasure. She spews her lines, lashing out hatred and truth…that is, when her character isn’t so hopped up on a cornucopia of pharmaceuticals that her words are garbled and unintelligible. She commands the stage and navigates the three-story set with ease. It is an amazing performance that makes you laugh and cry.
In a production full of showy roles, Paul Vincent O’Connor stands out as Uncle Charlie. His quiet, understated portrayal shows what power and strength there is in gentleness.
As daughter Barbara, Shannon Cochran captures both the wit and the physical comedy of her role as a woman tortured by her failing relationship with her mother, her failing relationship with her husband and her failing relationship with her daughter. In a cast of powerful characterizations, Cochran is a stand-out.
The Benedum was experiencing sound problems with its amplification system on opening night. Hopefully, that problem will soon be solved.
August; Osage County is a huge show (3 ½ hours) with a huge cast (13) on a huge set (three stories high)…and it would be a HUGE shame if you miss this very powerful, very funny show!
August: Osage County continues through April 11.