The opening night audience at Marjorie Lyons Playhouse got it. The Tracy Letts drama, “August: Osage County,” is an immersion in a family that is intensely messed up. But it is entertainment. And in that long script are a hundred moments to guffaw. Even when “bad” things are going down.
The Friday audience laughed during almost every scene.
Finding the yuks amidst the emotional carnage was enabled by the cast’s strength. When Heather Peak-Hooper spread her down- home woman’s wings, there was no question but to lol. When Mary Thoma stalked across the set the audience knew when to laugh, when to wince. The crowning comedienne of the evening was Cynthia Whitaker, playing the deluded, pill-addicted but iron-fisted mother of the brood. Whitaker drove the audience to laughs – she danced, she fought, she broke dishes – as well as to gasps.
A particularly comic passage was delivered in a rapid-fire gush by Kalah Roberts as the daughter with the cheery delusions.
The timing was effective (the reason for the laughs), pacing was persistent, the blocking was dynamic, which can be attributed to director Nate Wasson. The set, designed by Don Hooper, was warm and deluxe. Action was guided by golden lighting designed by Courtney Gaston .
There were casting surprises. Actor Logan Sledge ordinarily plays robust males. Here he is a mysteriously defeated fellow. Anna-Maria Sparke, often cast as a sunny presence, was unrecognizable as a troubled young woman. Jim Cowles played a simple fellow, merely a fumbling foil to the roiling family. Bossier teen Elizabeth Beagley was adult-capable in her diction as well as in rolling her big eyes.
Letts’ Pulitzer Prize Winning drama, similar in tone and scope to “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” is a sprawling melodrama. It is wordy. There are plot shocks that perhaps undermine its overall effectiveness. But it gave these actors, arguably among the best in regional drama, the opportunity to stimulate the audience via their long-honed voices, head snaps, gymnastics (fight director was Andrew Dylan Ray), pauses and striding.
Highly recommended. Be aware that, with 2 intermissions, it is not a shortie.
Also note dope smoking, jokes about genitalia and a f**ing stream of language.
By the way, the ticket proceeds have been dedicated to support of Centenary’s drama department. As a person who follows the Centenary productions I can vouch for their ambition and competence. Led by Logan Sledge and featuring Don Hooper alongside Alan Berry and Jodie Glorioso, it is a worthy gang.
See shows on August 18th, 19th, and 20th at 7:00 p.m..
Tickets are $25. For reservations, call (318) 869-5242.