Wednesday, March 28, 2001
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Wednesday, March 28, 2001 |
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Dynamic performances give life to classic play By MICHAEL BOYLAN Those of you who have a sister will truly appreciate House Red's production of "Crimes of the Heart." The play, written by Beth Henley, focuses on three sisters over the course of several "bad days' in Hazelhurst, Mississippi. This current production succeeds because of a sisterly dynamic between the actresses portraying the Magrath sisters. Nylssa Dunbar plays Lenny, the eldest sister, with a touch of sadness, while Patrice Azzarito plays Meg, the middle sister who has always been the wild one, with an energy that seems to be running out as she has been running from herself for years. Michelle Fail plays Babe, the central figure of the story with the perfect mix of wackiness and sentimentality. Babe is the youngest and has been protected for years by almost everybody. The play takes off as we see her emerge and settle into herself. The other performances are equally strong Vickie Lorton's Cousin Chick is the lady we always seem to find ourselves behind at Kroger and want to smack upside the head, Scott Gerard gives a touching and understated performance as Doc Porter and Brad Boseman nearly steals every scene he is in as Babe's attorney, Barnett Lloyd. When he is on stage, everything is working for him. The play is set in the kitchen of the Magrath's house in Hazelhurst and the seating at Baci is intimate. The audience feels as if they are in the living room, eavesdropping on the sisters as they catch up with each other and learn to leave their pasts in the past. The play is intended for adult audiences but does not contain material that is entirely unsuitable for younger audiences. It is performed in three acts, but the pacing of Henley's dialogue keeps the audience interested and laughing.
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