[NEohioPAL] Berko review: AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY @ Weathervane

[Roy Berko]

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*Weathervane opens 78th season with intriguing AUGUST:  OSAGE COUNTY*



Roy Berko

*(Member, American Theatre Critics Association & Cleveland Critics Circle)*



The Weston’s of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, in Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize and Tony
Award winning, AUGUST:  OSAGE COUNTY, give new meaning to the phrase
dysfunctional family.



The dark comedy was developed at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre and, after a
strong run in the Windy City, came to Broadway in 2007, where it ran for
648 performances.  The US national tour, which featured an amazing
performance by Estelle Parsons, played in Cleveland.  The script is so
universal in its themes that it has been staged in such disparate settings
as England, Israel, Puerto Rico, Australia, Germany, Spain and Sweden.



The story centers on Beverly Weston, an alcoholic, the family patriarch,
and award winning poet, who-disappears.  His wife, Violet, eats
prescription drugs like they are popcorn.  Her bossy sister, Mattie Fae,
has a secret that is about to be revealed.  Daughter Barbara’s marriage has
fallen apart.  Fourteen year-old granddaughter Jean is a secret pot smoker.
Without knowing it, daughter Ivy is involved in an incestuous romance.
 Daughter
Karen is engaged to a man with a questionable past and present.  Before
disappearing, Beverly hired Johnna, a native American, to be the family’s
housekeeper, but why is a mystery.  The Sheriff appears to reveal something.
What?  The answer is the pivotal plot device that sets AUGUST:  OSAGE
COUNTY on its climactic and unnerving course.



It might not be so bad if the whole thing was made up.  But the author
admits that Violet, the vindictive, substance abusing mother, is based on
his maternal grandmother, who he states, “was a piece of work.”  When Letts
gave the play to his mother to read, he was nervous, but her first response
was, “I think you’ve been very kind to my mother.”  Kind?  Only if kind
means Attila the Hun on meth!



The Weathervane production, under the sharp eye of Jacqui Lowey, is a well
conceived community theatre level staging.  The characters are clearly
etched.  Most of the emotional development shows clear motivation.  There
is a nice level of character development rather than actors just playing
roles.



Alex Cikra walks the difficult line making Beverly Weston into a believable
drunk.  So often actors go too far, feigning slurring and unsteadiness.  No
such problem here, Cikra does drunk well.



Laura Stitt has the most difficult role of the three sisters, as she needs
to be in emotional control almost throughout.  She achieves the right
levels of pathos and frustration.  Tina Thompkins nicely underplays Johnna,
the Native American housekeeper.



Tom Stephan portrays the henpecked Uncle Charlie, who morphs into a man
with a backbone, effectively.  Harriet DeVeto, as the pill popping Violet,
the clans mother, is generally effective, though sometimes it is difficult
to see her level of clarity versus drug induced stupor.



Alan Scott Ferrall’s set design is impressive.  The three level set is era
correct, realistic, and except for the difficulty for those in the first
five or so rows to see the action on the highest level, works well.



Be aware, as the publicity and the play’s opening announcement reminds,
that this is definitely a show for adults only, as the language is rough,
with almost all four letter words repeated numerous time.  This is not a
script for the up-tight.



*CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: **The Weathervane production of AUGUST:  OSAGE COUNTY
is a well conceived community theatre level staging and well worth the
drive to Akron.***

For tickets to AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, which runs through September 23, call
330-836-2626 or go to weathervaneplayhouse.com

Next up at Weathervane is the musical THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD by Rupert
Holmes, which is based on the unfinished novel of Charles Dickens, which
allows the audience to determine the ending.

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