Monday, September 1, 2008

August: Osage County: A Tony-Winning Treat

Friday night, one of my best friends, Morty, and I went to see August: Osage County. After the curtain went up, it didn’t take long for us to realize why Tracey Letts’ tale of a dysfunctional family in suburban Oklahoma walked away with five Tony Awards, including Best Play, and a Pulitzer Prize.

The three-hour three-act play moves along swiftly, thanks to brilliant direction from Tony winner Anna D. Shapiro, razor sharp dialogue and riveting performances from August’s talented ensemble cast. Estelle Parsons is brilliant as hard-bitten matriarch Violet Weston, while Amy Morton holds her own as Violet's uptight, demanding daughter Barbara.

August centers around the family drama that unfolds after patriarch Beverly (Michael McGuire) disappears. Morton is excruciatingly incisive in portraying how the ties that bind can lead to disappointment and despair--and yet still bring you right back to where you started.

August will be adapted for the big screen, with playwright Letts already confirmed to write the screenplay. I’m sure the movie will be great, but this show’s crackle and pop are tailor made for the stage. Don’t miss it.

For tickets and more info, visit http://www.augustonbroadway.com/.

2 comments:

Diana said...

Hey :)

Did you know I work for this show? I get google alerts for it every day :)

Melissa said...

Hey! I didn't know...congrats on being part of such an amazing production! :-)