Reviewed: August: Osage County @ Sydney Theatre

Tracy Lett's August: Osage County is more than three hours of theatre that feels like two. It combines the best elements of an American family drama and a Neil Simon sitcom into an event of unparalleled power and depth. It's also funny as hell.

The play's three level set demands attention before the play even starts. It's a detailed, three level suburban home, sliced in half so we're viewing the characters like dolls in a dollhouse. Every prop is meticulously detailed, and sets the stage for a naturalistic play free of post-modern trickery or self-conscious cleverness.

The plot of August: Osage County is simple. After hiring a housekeeper, alcoholic English teacher Beverly Weston disappears. His pill-addicted wife Violet and bickering extended family come together to figure out what happened. The usual array of family secrets and long-buried resentments are revealed.

The play's first act had an almost sitcom-like tone, and the audience was constantly laughing at the sharp dialogue and relatable characters. Rondi Reed gave a great, if slightly broad, performance as Violet's sister Mattie Fae. The comedy was utterly engaging, and eased you into this family so that when the shocks and drama came they stung harder. Both comedy and tragedy came from the brilliantly observed characters, and there was a real feeling of love beneath all the bickering.

The Steppenwolf Theatre Company's ensemble skills were demonstrated in the second act's famous dinner party scene, where ten characters came together around a table to eat and argue. It was a triumph of acting, writing and staging and what looked impossible to pull off was as organic as the scene it was depicting.

Though all the actors were good it was Deanna Dunagon's Violet Weston that stood out. She played the family patriarch as flinty and clever, alternating between menace and tragedy at her condition. Violet is a great creation that stays with you long after the play is over. Amy Morton's Barbara Fordham anchored the play, as she ably portrayed her arc as Violet's daughter and main antagonist. Among the other actors Gary Cole got the most laughs as the scummiest father-in-law you can imagine.

Programming August: Osage County directly after Long Day's Journey Into Night was a master stroke. Both plays dealt with the dark side of the American dream through a decaying, substance abusing family. But while Long Day's Journey Into Night could at times be cold, August: Osage County was bursting with vitality and life. I have never seen an audience so engaged, and 3 hours have never passed so quickly. See this play. You won't regret it.

by Christian Brimo

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