August: Osage County in May: New York City

August: Osage County is generating some serious heat on Broadway. Literally and figuratively. The title comes from the setting...it is the hot and humid month of August in Osage County, Oklahoma. After the first of three acts, the person seated next to me and I both commented that we were feeling hot and stuffy. That was from the actors conveying the oppressive heat because the theater was a nice cool temperature.

I was able to get a ticket for half price at TKTS. I thought that was pretty good considering it was a Saturday evening performance. Like Gypsy, the play is up for seven Tony Awards this year: Best Play (Tracy Letts), Play Leading Actress (Deanna Dunagan), Play Leading Actress (Amy Morton), Play Featured Actress (Rondi Reed), Play Direction, Play Scenic Design, and Play Lighting Design. That, and the fact that the couple in front of me in line at TKTS recommended it, is why I decided to go.

First things first. This is a play, not a musical. You won't leave the theater humming your favorite song. The subject matter and language is strictly for adults and not appropriate for minors. Next is that the show is 3.5 hours split into three acts with two 10 minute intermissions. Double check your tickets for the start time — I understand that it is 7:30 during the week. Except for the first 10 minutes that set up the show, the play moves quickly so the length isn't an issue.

There are a lot of laugh out loud scenes mixed in amongst the explosive fights. The play is a dark comedy built around the dysfunctional Weston family when the entire clan descends upon the homestead after the family patriarch vanishes. It's a recipe for disaster as the mom, in a fog from abusing her prescription meds, butts heads with her three daughters. They're all hiding secrets that come bursting to the fore as old family resentments, manipulations, and sibling rivalries collide with new problems within the extended family. As the story unfolds, the secrets become bigger and, frankly, more unbelievable.

The best part of the show is the acting. The only name in the cast that I recognized was Brian Kerwin. The others put in extremely strong performances (see the Tony nominees above) that are compelling and believable even if the material isn't. The plot is a stretch and I was surprised to learn it wasn't lifted from All My Children!

I thought it was pretty good but would recommend you see others before this one. Little David, on the other hand, knows a lot more about theater than I do and he loved it.

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I was explaining the show to my neighbor. She said if I paid her $50, I could witness live theater "on stage" by going over to her house around dinner time. Heck, she said she'd throw in the meal for free!

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The show is playing at the Music Box Theater. The play's stage setting never changed. It was the inside of the family's house, with a three level house at the back (providing eye level experiences for those seated in the balcony as I was), and three rooms at the front of the stage denoted by different flooring and furniture. At times, it was difficult to hear the actors — I don't know if that can be attributed to the theater, the sound design, or the actors themselves.
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