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<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="OLE_LINK1"></a><a name="OLE_LINK2"><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"><span style="color:rgb(204,0,0)"></span><br>
</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="OLE_LINK2"><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"><br></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a name="OLE_LINK2"><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Weathervane
opens 78<sup>th</sup> season with intriguing AUGUST:<span style> </span>OSAGE COUNTY</span></span></a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Roy Berko</span></span></span><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino">(Member, American
Theatre Critics Association & Cleveland Critics Circle)</span></i></span></span><span style><span style><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino"></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">The
Westons of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, in Tracy Letts Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award
winning, AUGUST:<span style> </span>OSAGE COUNTY,
give new meaning to the phrase dysfunctional family.<span style> </span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">The
dark comedy was developed at Chicagos Steppenwolf Theatre and, after a strong
run in the Windy City, came to Broadway in 2007, where it ran for 648
performances.<span style> </span>The US national tour,
which featured an amazing performance by Estelle Parsons, played in
Cleveland.<span style> </span>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.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">The
story centers on Beverly Weston, an alcoholic, the family patriarch, and award
winning poet, who-disappears.<span style> </span>His
wife, Violet, eats prescription drugs like they are popcorn.<span style> </span>Her bossy sister, Mattie Fae, has a
secret that is about to be revealed.<span style>
</span>Daughter Barbaras marriage has fallen apart.<span style> </span>Fourteen year-old granddaughter Jean is a secret pot
smoker.<span style> </span>Without knowing it,
daughter Ivy is involved in an incestuous romance.<span style> </span>Daughter Karen is engaged to a man with a questionable past
and present.<span style> </span>Before disappearing,
Beverly hired Johnna, a native American, to be the familys housekeeper, but
why is a mystery.<span style> </span>The Sheriff appears
to reveal something.<span style> </span>What?<span style> </span>The answer is the pivotal plot device
that sets AUGUST:<span style> </span>OSAGE COUNTY on
its climactic and unnerving course.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style><span style>It might not be so bad if the whole thing was
made up.<span style> </span>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.<span style> </span>When Letts gave the play to his mother to read, he was
nervous, but her first response was, I think youve been very kind to my
mother.<span style> </span>Kind?<span style> </span>Only if kind means Attila the Hun on
meth! </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">The
Weathervane production, under the sharp eye of Jacqui Lowey, is a well
conceived community theatre level staging.<span style> </span>The characters are clearly etched.<span style> </span>Most of the emotional development shows clear
motivation.<span style> </span>There is a nice level
of character development rather than actors just playing roles. </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Alex
Cikra walks the difficult line making Beverly Weston into a believable
drunk.<span style> </span>So often actors go too far,
feigning slurring and unsteadiness.<span style>
</span>No such problem here, Cikra does drunk well.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Laura
Stitt has the most difficult role of the three sisters, as she needs to be in
emotional control almost throughout.<span style>
</span>She achieves the right levels of pathos and frustration.<span style> </span>Tina Thompkins nicely underplays
Johnna, the Native American housekeeper.<span style>
</span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Tom
Stephan portrays the henpecked Uncle Charlie, who morphs into a man with a
backbone, effectively.<span style> </span>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.<span style> </span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Alan
Scott Ferralls set design is impressive.<span style>
</span>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.<span style> </span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Be
aware, as the publicity and the plays 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.<span style>
</span>This is not a script for the up-tight.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style><span style><i><span style="font-family:Palatino">CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: </span></i></span></span><span style><span style><i><span style="font-family:Palatino">The Weathervane production of AUGUST:<span style> </span>OSAGE COUNTY is a well conceived community theatre level
staging and well worth the drive to Akron.</span></i></span></span><span style><span style><i><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style><span style><span style="font-family:Palatino">For tickets to AUGUST:
OSAGE COUNTY, which runs through September 23, call 330-836-2626 or go to</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Palatino"> <a href="http://weathervaneplayhouse.com">weathervaneplayhouse.com</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family:Palatino">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.</span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></p>
<br>