#1
Posted: 10/31/07 at 9:11am
I attended the first preview of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at the Imperial Theatre last night. I really had no idea what to expect from this show. All I knew about it was that it was 3 hours and 20 minutes long. I had not read any of the reviews from the Steppenwolf Chicago production.
The play is divided into three acts, and throughout the evening, the audience is taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions and shifty plot turns. It takes place in a little middle-of-nowhere town out in Oklahoma, and over the three hours and twenty minutes, you get to know quite well eleven members of a dysfunctional, yet very human family, along with their housekeeper, and one of their town acquaintances.
I’m not going to go into many specific plot details, as this is the type of show that gives you one punch (metaphorically and literally!) after another as the evening progresses.
While it may not be particularly rare to see a play with thirteen characters, it is rare for a play to be written so meticulously, and directed so carefully, that each of the completely distinct characters is completely fleshed out from beginning to end, maintaining the audience’s eager attention from moment to moment.
The acting here is pretty superb throughout. It’s interesting to note that about half of the actors are making their Broadway debuts, but have years of credits in the Chicago theatre community working as actors, directors, artistic directors, and writers.
The family matriarch is played by Deanna Dunagan. The role calls for some pretty elaborately wacky moments. In fact, that is what most of her character calls for, and while I found Dunagan to give a strong performance overall, I found it to be pretty much a one note characterization from start to finish. There were times that called for the audience to feel something toward her; disgust, guilty pleasure, sympathy. I just found it difficult to feel for her character as a human, which left me rolling my eyes during most of her key moments.
On the contrary, the other leading female is the eldest daughter, played by Amy Morton. I tend to be much more impressed by a strong, committed, naturalistic performance than a button pushing, over the top one. While in many ways Morton’s character goes through a similar wacky journey with just as many “out there” moments as Dunagan’s, I believed every minute of Morton’s character’s journey. The role calls for displays of quite the range of emotions, and Morton transformed from one to the next with ease and credibility. It really is a mind-blowingly authentic performance. One that came to mind as similar, yet to a lesser degree of intensity, was Cynthia Nixon’s portrayal of a grieving mother in RABBIT HOLE a couple years ago. Unapologetically real. No tricks.
Another standout is Sally Murphy, as the middle daughter, who really impressed in a role that calls for such demanding acting chops. I didn’t get the chance to see her as Julie Jordan in the recent CAROUSEL revival (I saw her in FIDDLER, but that didn't call for much of anything), but not many pigeonholed musical theatre ingénues can morph so believably from a submissive, very light role, to a strong, dramatic one, and Ms. Murphy is completely up to task.
Todd Rosenthal’s set is the interior of a three level house, with a visible staircase leading up to each next level. Director Anna D. Shapiro utilizes every inch of the Imperial’s stage leading from one moment to the next with groups of actors set in another room of the house for the next scene to be lit.
The play is in great shape, and aside from a couple line flubs and a 30 second lighting mishap where the room being lit suddenly went dark, the performance moved along smoothly.
I highly recommend this play for acting students, as so many different approaches are on display, and to see them all meshed with one another in the telling of a strong, cohesive story is quite a lesson.
AUGUST engages and entertains from beginning to end, so those worried about the 3 hours 20 minutes running time shouldn't. I guarantee that you won't be bored for a minute. All evening performances with the exception of Saturday nights begin at 7:30pm, so I was out of there by 10:50 and home by 11:15.
I just want to note that there is A LOT of on stage smoking of herbal cigarettes, so if that bothers you, you may choose to sit further back. I was in the front row center orchestra, and it was magnificent getting to watch this story unfold up close.
The theatre was half empty last night. I suppose the word needs to spread in order for a new, non-British transfer to fill the Imperial, so if you can get there during previews, I recommend it, as after the first act, most of the mezzanine audience moved down to the orchestra to fill out the empty spaces.
The play is divided into three acts, and throughout the evening, the audience is taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions and shifty plot turns. It takes place in a little middle-of-nowhere town out in Oklahoma, and over the three hours and twenty minutes, you get to know quite well eleven members of a dysfunctional, yet very human family, along with their housekeeper, and one of their town acquaintances.
I’m not going to go into many specific plot details, as this is the type of show that gives you one punch (metaphorically and literally!) after another as the evening progresses.
While it may not be particularly rare to see a play with thirteen characters, it is rare for a play to be written so meticulously, and directed so carefully, that each of the completely distinct characters is completely fleshed out from beginning to end, maintaining the audience’s eager attention from moment to moment.
The acting here is pretty superb throughout. It’s interesting to note that about half of the actors are making their Broadway debuts, but have years of credits in the Chicago theatre community working as actors, directors, artistic directors, and writers.
The family matriarch is played by Deanna Dunagan. The role calls for some pretty elaborately wacky moments. In fact, that is what most of her character calls for, and while I found Dunagan to give a strong performance overall, I found it to be pretty much a one note characterization from start to finish. There were times that called for the audience to feel something toward her; disgust, guilty pleasure, sympathy. I just found it difficult to feel for her character as a human, which left me rolling my eyes during most of her key moments.
On the contrary, the other leading female is the eldest daughter, played by Amy Morton. I tend to be much more impressed by a strong, committed, naturalistic performance than a button pushing, over the top one. While in many ways Morton’s character goes through a similar wacky journey with just as many “out there” moments as Dunagan’s, I believed every minute of Morton’s character’s journey. The role calls for displays of quite the range of emotions, and Morton transformed from one to the next with ease and credibility. It really is a mind-blowingly authentic performance. One that came to mind as similar, yet to a lesser degree of intensity, was Cynthia Nixon’s portrayal of a grieving mother in RABBIT HOLE a couple years ago. Unapologetically real. No tricks.
Another standout is Sally Murphy, as the middle daughter, who really impressed in a role that calls for such demanding acting chops. I didn’t get the chance to see her as Julie Jordan in the recent CAROUSEL revival (I saw her in FIDDLER, but that didn't call for much of anything), but not many pigeonholed musical theatre ingénues can morph so believably from a submissive, very light role, to a strong, dramatic one, and Ms. Murphy is completely up to task.
Todd Rosenthal’s set is the interior of a three level house, with a visible staircase leading up to each next level. Director Anna D. Shapiro utilizes every inch of the Imperial’s stage leading from one moment to the next with groups of actors set in another room of the house for the next scene to be lit.
The play is in great shape, and aside from a couple line flubs and a 30 second lighting mishap where the room being lit suddenly went dark, the performance moved along smoothly.
I highly recommend this play for acting students, as so many different approaches are on display, and to see them all meshed with one another in the telling of a strong, cohesive story is quite a lesson.
AUGUST engages and entertains from beginning to end, so those worried about the 3 hours 20 minutes running time shouldn't. I guarantee that you won't be bored for a minute. All evening performances with the exception of Saturday nights begin at 7:30pm, so I was out of there by 10:50 and home by 11:15.
I just want to note that there is A LOT of on stage smoking of herbal cigarettes, so if that bothers you, you may choose to sit further back. I was in the front row center orchestra, and it was magnificent getting to watch this story unfold up close.
The theatre was half empty last night. I suppose the word needs to spread in order for a new, non-British transfer to fill the Imperial, so if you can get there during previews, I recommend it, as after the first act, most of the mezzanine audience moved down to the orchestra to fill out the empty spaces.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
Updated On: 10/31/07 at 09:11 AM
