Beth Henley’s 1979 pulitzer-prize winning play, Crimes of the Heart, was the perfect choice for 100A Productions, whose mission statement speaks of innovation and diversity. This play depicts what life is like for a group of people who are not what society thinks they should be. Judged in adulthood for trauma in their childhood they could never have influenced. The themes of this play express human struggle and the need for every person to be shown some empathy and grace. Themes I think we can all agree are most needed in communities across our country right now.
In a brief discussion with producer Rick Frederick, before the show, he expressed the desires of the company to serve the community, making it their business to dialogue with artists and patrons in the community and find out what they want. They have creative processes in place to make sure they are listening. And that really showed in the sneak peek dress rehearsal of this play on March 6.
I was struck by the family atmosphere in the lobby as we waited for the doors to open. So many volunteers taking such pride and joy in telling us all the stories about their time with this theatre company. They were thrilled to volunteer and to be together. They loved discussing their ideas with the producer, Rick Frederick, at intermission, proving that the company’s vision of listening to and interacting with its community was of utmost importance. We literally watched it happen, and it was a beautifully creative process to witness.
As we made it to our seats, we were absolutely struck by Jeremiah Teutsch’s scene design, along with Edward Diaz’s construction of the set. The entire play takes place in the family kitchen, one with a complicated family history, as most kitchens are. It felt lived in and alive, with so much care and detail put into every surface. I actually heard the couple next to us say, “we grew up in this kitchen.” It put us right into the setting for this classic story.
As the play began, we met Lenny MaGrath, played by Georgette Maria Meza, on her 30th birthday. Something no one seemed to be interested in celebrating. As she began celebrating by herself, her vivacious cousin, Chick, played by Kaitlyn Jones, showed up and began pulling us into the story with dramatic flair. Jones was an absolute highlight in this play, as she was able to add so much range and depth to a character that could be played as a simple stereotype.
Soon, Lenny’s sisters arrived. Meg MaGrath, played by Victorya Ross, had been away from home for a long time, chasing a singing career in California. She returned home to help their sister, Babe MaGrath, played by Lee Drahl, who had just been released on bail after shooting her husband in the stomach. They found themselves awkwardly together back in their childhood home, where Lenny still lives and takes care of their aging grandfather, who was in the hospital throughout the play. As they worked towards solutions to unsolvable problems, the layers of their pain became achingly evident. Henley’s dark-comedy style wrapped all of this heavy content in uncomfortable laugh-out-loud moments that made the audience feel truth in the girls’ circumstances. Through the pain and the laughter, the constant was their love for each other as sisters.
These three actresses provided some beautifully heartwarming moments that made us feel a gamut of emotions. The audience audibly cheered Lenny on as she chased Chick out of the house with a broom, Meza delivering a powerful performance of character growth. Drahl gave some soft moments as Babe when she interacted with her lawyer, Barnette Lloyd, played by Jordan Pena. Ross, as Meg, had a particularly beautiful scene with Blake Hammon, who played Doc Porter, her former boyfriend and long lost love. Ross gave such a truthful and vulnerable performance in this scene, and her performance was balanced perfectly by Hammon, whose performance was utterly raw and believable. He was a true force in this show.
Director Marisela Barrera created a beautiful ending picture with a wonderfully tender moment between the sisters that put these actresses’ strong connection and commitment on display and left a hopeful smile on every audience member’s face.
I was enlightened and overjoyed to experience theatre with 100A Productions at the Tobin Center, and you will be too. Crimes of the Heart runs from March 7-10, and you won’t want to miss it!
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