Fade in: We eavesdrop on a job interview between employer Beverly Weston (Gary Prober) and potential employee Johnna Monevata (Maleah Rivera). Beverly is seeking a live-in cook and caregiver for his cancer-stricken wife, Violet (Sally Buchanan). But we join the scene mid-conversation, and at a rather ambiguous point. We slowly begin to realize the purpose of the discussion, but the way Beverly freely opens up to Monevata about his alcoholism suggests their exchange is far more informal (he’s even drinking during the interview).
Monevata is quiet for the most part, but politely nods in attention as Beverly converses about his personal demons as well as his wife’s, listing every prescription drug she’s become addicted to. We’re soon introduced to Violet, who deliriously interrupts the interview, incoherently spouting obscenities. This is our first glimpse into the mood swinging nuances that pretty much define August: Osage County, which runs through Sunday, Aug. 25, at the Santa Maria Civic Theatre.
The entire ensemble cast is to thank for the company’s success in bringing Tracy Letts’ acclaimed work to life, but the key performance is of course from Buchanan, who delivers a tear-inducing tour de force—hilarious one minute and devastating the next. Whether it’s from laughter, heartbreak, or both, you’re gonna cry—don’t try to fight it.
As the scene described above comes to a close, the lights fade out and weeks have passed by in their absence. Several relatives have gathered to the Westons’ large Oklahoma country home in the wake of Beverly’s reported disappearance—the beloved patriarch hasn’t been seen for five days. And within the three-story house, far more than three stories are interwoven between its inhabiting characters.
One thread involves Barbara Fordham (Yvonne Duran), one of the Westons’ daughters, and her husband, Bill (Thomas Brown), who try their best not to publicize their recent separation. Meanwhile, their pot-smoking teenage daughter, Jean (Alexis Morse), gets preyed upon by a creep (Jonathan Staffel), who just happens to be the fiance of the girl’s aunt, Karen Weston (Kelly Nichols). On top of that, Ivy (Lisa Marie Butz), another of the Westons’ daughters, is on the brink of confessing her secret romantic relationship with one of her first cousins, “Little” Charles Aiken (Iain Freckleton).
Divorce, weed, incest, and a scene involving one character forcing another to eat catfish (“Eat the fish, bitch!”)—what more could anyone ask for?
“August: Osage County is a story about how truth and honesty are withheld or concealed, and then—years later—used as a weapon, a means to maintain control,” director Stuart Wenger said in the show’s production notes. “And how this can have a ripple effect throughout a family, even down through the generations.
“Here’s to hoping your family is not nearly as dysfunctional as the Westons,” he added.
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood loves seafood but has never tried catfish. Reel ’em in at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 15-22, 2019.