Despite its Oscar buzz, “August: Osage County” got so-so reviews and not a single one of my movie-buff friends said I needed to go see it. That could be the unfortunate reason that the highly awarded play—currently staging at the Southampton Cultural Center—is not drawing the big audiences it deserves.
That’s a pity, for director Michael Disher manages to wring out all the black humor in the writing and produce some real guffaws in this nimble and engaging production of Tracy Letts’ mordant family drama. The action never lags, the lines continue to amuse throughout and the whopping 160-minute production is over in a quick do-si-do.
The opening monologue sets the tone, immersing the audience into the deep dysfunction of a family anyone would be glad to have escaped. “My wife takes pills and I drink. That’s the bargain we’ve struck,” utters the Weston family patriarch, who disappears soon after. As family members arrive to find him—or bury him—the drama in the Oklahoma domicile quickly spirals out of control while Violet, the pill-popping mama of everyone’s nightmares, spews invectives like steam from a whistling kettle you can’t turn off.
But you don’t want to, because the writing is so damn good. No fancy speeches here that sound “well-written.” Just wise-cracking taunts that hit their mark with spot-on honesty, even if the characters in real life would have preferred to be somewhere else. The gibes whiz by like knives in a circus act—fast, and with deadly accuracy.
Actor Linda McNight as the ravaged, addicted and brutal Violet is totally up to the task of mama-as-a-bitch, and commands the stage whenever she speaks. When asked if she is “supposed to be smoking,” she tartly replies, “Is anybody supposed to smoke?” When her younger sister insists that she is still sexy, Violet responds, “You’re about as sexy as a wet cardboard box, Mattie Fae, you and me both.” When she inquires about the crumbling marriage of one of her three daughters, Violet wants to know if a young woman is involved. When the answer is yes, she says, “Ah...y’see? Odds’re against you there, babe.”
The daughters are as different as a choice of cookies: crunchy, soft and blah. Ivy, convincingly acted by Samantha Honig—who is actually quite pretty—is the dumpy middle daughter who stayed home to take care of the parents. Karen, portrayed by Edna Winston, is the younger, beautiful and somewhat dippy daughter, who returns from Florida with a flaky fiancé who deals in almost-certainly dubious real estate. Barbara, the eldest, left to become a college professor, wife and mother. She is briskly and bitingly portrayed by Bonnie Grice, known to us locally as the authoritative interviewer of WPPB’s morning show, “The Eclectic Café.”
After listening to Barbara expound on the bleak realities of their situation, Karen innocently remarks, “I can’t believe your world view is that dark.” Barbara disposes of her with, “You live in Florida.” It’s that kind of smart dialogue that surprises throughout and lifts what could be a dreary family tragedy into unforgettable theater.
Also notable is Joan Lyons as Mattie Fae, Violet’s younger sister, who dishes the dirt as well as anyone. Rounding out the cast are Paul Consiglio, John Leonard, Joseph Marshall, Philip Reichert, Stephan Scheck, Emily Selyukova, Mark Strecker and Josephine Wallace.
Director Michael Disher, who has a long and cherished association with the Southampton cultural scene, does a splendid job of staging and directing a play he clearly loves. Obviously, he couldn’t conjure up a three-story set in his limited space—as it was done on Broadway. But with different levels and effective lighting, the action moves smoothly from one scene to another without confusion.
In interviews, playwright Tracy Letts has said that the dysfunctional family is not far from his own story of his maternal grandparents, and that sometimes he was part of the action growing up. The multi-talented Mr. Letts is also an actor himself. On Showtime’s television series “Homeland,” he portrays the evil Senator Andrew Lockhart in a Cheneyesque vein that I came to detest in the third season.
Some critics found the play too-much-family-soap for their liking. Others compared the play to the dramas of Eugene O’Neill and Edward Albee. I vote enthusiastically with those who gave the play both the Pulitzer and the Tony for Best Drama in 2008. The writing is just too good to be dismissed or dissed. Especially if you missed “August: Osage County” on Broadway, don’t let this lively, darkly funny version slip by.
You can’t tell a play by its movie.
“August: Osage County” will stage on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through Sunday, April 6, at the Southampton Cultural Center. Tickets are $22 and $12 for students under age 21 with ID. For more information, call 287-4377 or visit sccarts.org.
on Mar 24, 2014