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| Reminiscent in length
and scope to many Eugene O'Neill epics, the powerful drama, August:
Osage County has finally come to St. Louis. Winner of multiple theatre
awards and Tony Awards including Best Play in 2008, this Tracy Lett masterpiece
truly lives up to its hype. The striking Todd Rosenthal set design is the first thing that hits you as you enter the theatre. This multi-level structure representing a large family home in Oklahoma is just stunning. What happens through the next three hours plus is even more stunning. Multiple award winner, Estelle Parsons heads up the Weston clan and a most dysfunctional family it is. She is simply magnificent as the pill-popping, menacing matriarch. The play actually begins with the equally strong Jon DeVries in a drunken tirade to a prospective housekeeper who, despite the abuse, decides to take the job. When the family patriarch mysteriously disappears, the family all gather at the homestead and the real fun begins. Although the cast is a complicated one- even inspiring a "family tree" in the program to keep everyone straight, it doesn't take long to sort them all out and discover that the apples have not fallen far from the proverbial family tree. Director Anna D. Shapiro moves the long play along at a nice clip and she almost becomes a choreographer as she pits family member against family member both physically and with the searing dialogue. Though too numerous to mention them all, the entire cast is exemplary. From the stunning performance of Shannon Cochran as the eldest daughter to the minor characters, it's simply a lesson in acting top to bottom. Despite the dysfunction, the play offers plenty of laughs as well. Sometimes just the way the family interacts brings humor and maybe a bit of familiarity. With two intermissions, you can't wait to get back to the Weston clan and see just what is going to happen next. August: Osage County plays at the Fox Theatre through March 14th. This is Steve Allen with theatre in St. Louis for CLASSIC99. |
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