Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on AUGUST : OSAGE COUNTY (with MAJOR spoilers)

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 12:07pm

E19

August : Osage County
New Play
Imperial Theater
3 hours and 20 mins with 2 intermission
12/15 2 pm matinee
Tix Price : $32.50 (thru TDF) +$3.00 fees=$35.50 (RMEZZ)


INTRO : (August: Osage County - First Preview Review by Wanna Be A Foster)

Me : Thanks ..what a great review ! I can't hardly wait too see this play next weekend.Its nice to know that there will a be a great American play this season, aside from all the British imports (Seafarer, Rock N Roll, The 39 Steps and so forth ) I am very, very excited about this play.

WBaf: I agree, Jay. It is a nice relief to have a fresh American
play on Broadway. I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts on it.

*****************

So finally I made it to Pawshuska, Oklahoma. Where I am standing infront a large White Victorian home of the Weston Family..Its a hot..dry. & humid August afternoon....in Osage County....



10 Things I LIKE about the play (out of 10) PERFECT SCORE

1. The Play - Beautifully written, not a dull moment... I thought it was a COMEDY. I was laughing the whole time...for the dysFUNctionality of the Weston family. Though its a very SERIOUS PLAY ..I have soo many favorite lines that I love.. but probably the standout is.. "EAT YOUR FISH, BiTch ! " I am still thinking about the play up to now ... and definitley a CROWD PLEASER !

The play has soo many secrets.. they keep revealing secrets after another ...

2. Deanna Dunagan- (as Violet Weston) the marchiarch of the Weston Family. oh my god.. if this woman does not win the Tonys.. I dont know what to say? Everytime she's ontage... she just takes control of the whole scene. She basically owned that Imperial Theater's stage. Her stage command is so POWERFUL. Oh my .. she's a mean woman!

3. Amy Weston- ( as Barbara Fordham) the eldest daughter of Violet. she is as equally good as Deanna Dunagan. I love ACT 2 so much -the dinner scene- I was soo focused at the whole play. My only problem was I cannot see their faces but their acting was soo spectacular that I can reimagine their facial reactions from my seat in Rear Mezz. Amy Weston was just excllent.. I love the end of ACT 2 where she slapped her Mother and chased her to the Study room and yelled.. From now on... I am IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING!!! and sadly at the end- she still loves her cheating husband.

Edited :Note : Actress' name is Amy Morton

4. The Sets- Wow ! They fit a whole house at the Imperial Theater's stage (which I think is bigger than the set they had at Steppenwolf's productions in Chicago. The sets are ENORMOUS , very clever and functional... My only itsy picky is I wish they put a stage curtain.. I was thinking of the house's blue print- but that's very Mary Poppins.. so I finally thought of a Curtain with the logo of the play... bec. I stayed on my seat on ACT 2 intermission and I am bothered to see the Stage People taking dishes out of dining table on ACT 2- but if you put a curtain.. the problem is the three protruding rooms .. I guess the set is perfect then.



5. The lighting- perfect during change of scenes. I love how they lit up certain parts of the rooms. The End of ACT 3's lighting design at the attic is just perfect.. I almost jumped out of my seat to yell BRAVO!!!

6. Sound Design- I really love the music .. it really gives you that feeling of the plain plain plain plain plain, dry and the loneliness you feel when youre alone in the Midwest State. The sounds of thunder at the end of Act 3 is just amazing.

7. The Ensemble- Wow- No one is a weak link . All of them are strong. I love the little 14 or 15 yr old grand-daughter. With the exeption of Brian Kerwin..from my understanding all these cast are Regional Actors from Chicago and they are all EXCELLENT !



8. The Director ( Anna D Shapiro) - excellent work of putting all these things so perfectly blended together.

9. Original Music by David Singer- very haunting & the Fight Chreography by Chuck Coyl -which is my favorite in the end of ACT 2 is just perfectly timed.

10. The Afterthoughts of the play- I knew there was a thread here about this show is like a soap opera.. I definitley disagree ...I think this play is deeper the more you think.. A SOAP OPERA does not have an ENDING.. this one has an ENDING and a CLOSURE for me ..though I must say... its a "you see is what you get play..." but definitely the afterthoughts are very rewarding after you go home.

Here are my afterthoughts about the play: (PLS FEEL FREE TO ADD YOUR COMMENTS or disagree with me- I wanted to know if we have the same conclusion? )

1. Why did the Father hired the Native-American girl as a housekeeper? bec. he would kill himself and he needs someone to take care of his (brain damage) wife.

2. Why did he kill himself ? (for me) he was TIRED of his life..being a poet and not to be able to write again...

3. Why did the eldest daughter (Barbara) left her Mother at the end? bec. she discovered that her Mother called the Motel and did not even prevented her husband from commiting suicide, though she took the safety deposit box afterwards...

4. Why did the couple have a safety deposit box? (for me) to evade tax from the state.


Thing(s) I dont like about the play

N O N E

In Summary : I am so glad .. I saw this play... yes it took us 4 hours one way to go to NYC and a total of 8 hours just to see this 3 and 1/2 hours play, but its all worth it. My husband Chris came with me to see this play and he totally LOVED it... He easily gets bored with plays but he told me that he did not even get bored with this one at all... If you have not seen any plays at all --(just musicals) ..this is the best time to start ! Is it a wrong to miss this play if youre in NYC ? The answer is YES ! and ITS A MUST SEE PLAY ( In my book ) and I will end my Report with a quote from Margo Channing in one of the thread he posted..."This is the best slate of reviews for any show -- musical or play, On- or Off-Broadway -- in a VERY long time..."


Thanks guys !

Jaystarr


SCORE: 10/0- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!

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The Imperial Theater





Production Photos





















Thanks Matty

*******************************

The House (from steppenwolf's)





The Playbill






**********************************************************************

Next Week : My 10/10 Report on SPEECH & DEBATE.



Updated On: 5/14/08 at 12:07 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 12:10pm

I think Barbara was also realizing that she was becoming her mother.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 12:22pm

******SPOILER*******


Yup.. youre right bec. Barbara still loves her cheating husband at the end..just like her Mother which tolerated her husband's infidelity by having a son by her sister Mattie. Thus Little Charlie and Ivy are brother and sister ...though they are having an incestous affair (not to their knowledge) yet the Mother who supposedly knew everything DID NOT tell her daughter... about the truth!


History tend to repeat itself among family members....Sooner of later you become just like your Mother or Father that you hated



J*



Updated On: 12/16/07 at 12:22 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 12:35pm

FYI -- the actress' name is Amy MORTON, not Amy Weston.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 12:59pm

Jaystarr, I always enjoy reading your posts. You have so much enthusiasm for the theatre, both intellectually and physically. I did not love AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, but I liked it a great deal, finding it very theatrical, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Your thoughts have caused me to re-think some of the play which I saw on 12/09. Perhaps it has not fully sunk in. I actually would like to see the play again to better understand the underlying thoughts that unfold during its fast paced 3.5 hours. Alas, I live too far away to see the play again.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:07pm

Answers:

1. Beverley hired Johnna fully well knowing that he was planning to kill himself, and needed someone to take care of Vi. The final scene, with Vi climbing on Johnna's lap is particularly interesting, in that throughout the show, Vi is criticizing Johnna for being "Indian." (A particularly inspired line is "No, you didn't play Cowboys and Indians, you played Cowboys and Native Americans). By the final blackout, the only one who hasn't deserted Vi is Johnna.

2. You can't answer why Beverley killed himself. You can't answer why anyone kills themself.

3. Barbara left because she realized that she was slowly turning into Vi. Leaving was her last ditch effort to create a separate life, one that her sisters already have. Her sisters, in their own bizarre ways, are happy.

4. Many older person have safety deposit boxes to store valuables which they don't want to keep in their home.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:16pm

Gypsy- Thanks for that nice compliments

Actually after I saw the show... It DID occur in my mind.. that the play might be a bit overrated in a way. My initial reaction was... Its a good play but I think it has soo much hype...not till I talked to Chris... we had a discussion about it afterwards on our way home.

Chris grew up in Missouri, so he can really relate to the play. At first.. I had problem with the set.. I guess I have seen the pics soo many times on Playbill.com... but after I rethink it all over.. its just perfect... its supposed to translate like a boring doll house..life is boring in the Midwest (no offense)

Somehow it helped when you discuss the play with other people and they pointed out some stuff about the play...

My other problem in the play is ... YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET PLAY.... I guess .. the term is "soap opera"...(in a way) .. direct to the point.. but c'mon... (no offense again ) to my friends in the midwest...but IS THERE ANYTHING going on in the Midwest?

I hope I dont came across as that..but my point is everything is perfect the way it is... the CAST... no supertstar like Jen Gardner or Claire Daines (my apology) they are just SIMPLE AMERICAN FOLKS (like you and me ) living their boring lives in Oklahoma.yet full of drama ..if you really disect it.

J*




Updated On: 12/16/07 at 01:16 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:18pm

Why do you think Johanna stayed even after Vi's comments and the turmoil in the house? Also, did anything that Bev said in the opening indicate what happened at the end? We missed most of it due to rude audience members. My thought was that she stayed becuse she was in need of some kind of a family.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:20pm

I cant BARELY hear the last scene.

BTW- Youre right! uncage... sometimes people are even talking during the play.. The older couples sitting at my back was explaining to her husband... who's who..
ex.. she is the sister of the mother! she is first cousin of the guy...

I think I might get a hearing aide next time... I see a play...I'm serious!

J*


Updated On: 12/16/07 at 01:20 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:22pm

Johnna stayed because she needed money, and felt compassion for Vi. Facing facts, Vi wasn't too long for the world, anyway.

The last lines of the play, from TS Eliot's The Hollow Men (one must always attribute an Eliot quote to Eliot), pretty much sums up the past 3.5 hours:

"This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper."

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:27pm

I knew she needed the money, I thought there was also another reason. Did he recite that piece from TS Eliot in the beginning? I know he was talking about TS Eliot in the beginning. I missed most of it. One of the reasons I hope to get back to NYC to see it in Feb. before it closes. The other reason being that I just want to see it again!

[Rotel1026]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:30pm

"but IS THERE ANYTHING going on in the Midwest?"

You should get out more.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:30pm

I believe he quoted that poem, though, since I don't have the script in front of me, I can't say.

[Rotel1026]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:31pm

"but IS THERE ANYTHING going on in the Midwest?"

You should get out more.

[Rotel1026]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:31pm

"but IS THERE ANYTHING going on in the Midwest?"

You should get out more.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:35pm

I went to College for 4 yrs in University of Missouri-Columbia....then we decided to move to Boston bec. there's really nothing going on specially if you are gay.. when youre 2 hours drive away to St. Louis and 3 hours to Kansas City. We go once a year to MO to visit my inlaws..and I am bored out of my mind.. I said earlier ..NO OFFENSE. My Reports are based on my experiences and perceptions.. and not a professional theater review !

I dont wanna be over dramatic but its hard if you are a MINORITY in a college town where it is 80 percent white....and youre often stereotype... I am sorry to pull out my" I am a minority card" ..but It did happened to me..

and BTW- we cannot also find a job!

J*







Updated On: 12/16/07 at 01:35 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:43pm

Even though the play was set in the midwest, I feel this family is everywhere.

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:44pm

I'm suddenly starting to regret not seeing this play while I was in the city the other week...

Why did I put myself through Young Frankenstein when I could've seen this!?! Why!?!

Just so y'all know...I'm exagerating. YF isn't THAT bad...

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:52pm

mywonder, you have until March 9th if you can get back to see it. Don't know where you are from, but I am flying in from Denver if I can to see it again.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 1:56pm

Johnna stayed because, as she said, she "needs the work."

I believe the play's ultimate bit of irony, is that, by the end of Act 3, the only person left with Vi is the one she disliked the most ("the Indian").

My only, only minor quibble with the production is that because Act 2 is so enthralling, and so brilliant, Act 3 can be a bit of a let down. You'll never be able to match the energy and pacing of Act 2, which basically steamrolls you. As that act ended, I realized I was gripping the armrests on my seat, with goosebumps up and down my arm.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 2:01pm

Thanks, Jaystarr for another thoughtful review.

I loved this play as well. Just about perfect. The acting and direction were so seamless and natural you almost forgot you were watching a play. I felt, at times, like I was back home in the midwest at one of our fun family functions.

That is why I now live far, far away.

The audience I saw it with did talk on occasion, but mostly AT the play! With gasps, comments, and exclamations! It was so much fun. I found myself at times whispering "oh no she di'n't!" at some of the behavior.

It does stay with you after you see it. I can't stop thinking about this family. I just may have to pay them another visit...

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 2:01pm

My quibble was Madeleine Martin's portrayal of the granddaughter. Just a bit to deadpan for me. But she was good none the less.

And thank you Jaystar!! I feel all santa like now!

Updated On: 12/16/07 at 02:01 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 2:04pm

Hi All-

Can someone pls explain or post the dialogue...about America being a great experiment (one of the Philosophical thoughts of the play) something about the Native Americans and the settlers of the Midwest.. unfortunately I missed that part again bec. the audience' background noise.

J*
Updated On: 12/16/07 at 02:04 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 3:03pm

Maddy Martin plays the granddaughter.

Jay, the idea of the "American experiment" is a philosophical one. It has to do with the settling of the country, with the various pioneers from all over. Could so many groups learn to live together in a giant melting pot? That kind of thing.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/16/07 at 3:11pm

Sorry...my bad...was looking at the family tree in the Playbill and looked at the character's name instead of the actresses name below.

edit: name fixed to Madeleine. She won't let me call her Maddy yet! :)

Updated On: 12/16/07 at 03:11 PM