By JAMES D. WATTS JR. Scene Writer on Apr 7, 2008, at 6:07 PM Updated on 4/07 at 6:07 PM
ARTS
Kitty Roberts, who has guided Tulsa's American Theatre Company since its inception, has been named the recipient of the Mary ...
Wes Studi, whose career has included memorable performances in the films “Last of the Mohicans,” “Avatar” and “Germonino,” ...
Ukrainian pianist Vadym Kholodenko Sunday was named the winner at the 14th Van Cliburn Internationaal Piano Competition, ...
CONTACT THE BLOGGER
918-581-8478
Email
Tracy Letts' play "August: Osage County" won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama today. And deservedly so -- I can't remember the last time a non-musical play got this much attention from the press and the public.
As one who doesn't get beyond the city limits too much, I haven't had the chance to see the play, although I did get a copy of the script as soon as it was published.
Plays are a tricky thing to read, because a good portion of the impact of the words on the page come from the way an actor speaks them. Phrases and exchanges that sound one way in my head sound completely different when acted out. For example, there's a moment in Act Two, part of one of the most harrowing family dinners ever put on stage, when the acid-tongued mother Violet challenges any who dares try to take her drugs away: "I'll eat you alive."
Reading that -- and knowing some people who might make a similar statement in a similar situation -- sent a little chill down my spine.
A few days later, listening to an NPR broadcast about Letts and his play, that same scene was presented as an illustrative snippet during the interview. Hearing Deanna Dunagan snarl this phrase -- gargling that first word as if delighting the venom she's about to spew -- was hilarious. In a very dark, dark way.
So much of "August: Osage County" is like that -- what frightens become funny. What initially strikes you as perverse becomes profound. What appears straightforward leads you down all kinds of twisting paths, through the briar patch that is the American psyche.
"August: Osage County" is an amazing work, and deserving of all the praise that's been heaped upon it.
And I just hope that when it sets out on the promised national tour, that the Weston family makes a stop in Tulsa.
Only active print or digital subscribers of the Tulsa World are allowed to post comments on stories posted to Tulsaworld.com. After you fill out the form below and click submit, your comment will be published instantly online along with your screen name.
By clicking "Submit" you are agreeing to our terms and conditions.
