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Presented by: Melbourne Theatre Company Venue: The Arts Centre, Playhouse Reviewer: Adam Rafferty Date Reviewed: Thursday 28 May, 2009
Last year August: Osage County picked up all the major theatre awards for its Broadway run, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, so it’s with a high level of expectation that MTC’s production hits the Playhouse stage this winter. Thankfully, it seems little has been lost in its Australian translation.
Tracy Letts’ epic three-act play tells the darkly comic story of the dysfunctional Weston family; Oklahoma natives drawn back home when their whiskey-loving patriarch goes missing. None of the three adult children of the Weston family – Barbara, Ivy and Karen – are overly enthusiastic about spending time with their mother, but whether this is due to the pill addiction she’s cultivated through contracting mouth cancer or simply the acid tongue she lashes out with in her moments of lucidity, it’s hard to tell.
Robyn Nevin’s performance as matriarch Violet is truly awe-inspiring. This role offers the opportunity for a real star-turn through the woman’s deliciously cutting bons mots, (and Nevin delivers each superbly) however the fact that Violet is drug-addled for all but a few scenes of clarity means this character is extremely hard to carry off without appearing to be a pantomime drunkard. This is never the case for Nevin though; she is thoroughly convincing throughout every moment of Violet’s medically induced fog and remains faithful when finding her way out of the miasma to deliver a stinging remark or deflating observation to her extended family; she doesn’t falter in her authenticity. Nevin makes the role of Violet her own and leads the cast with style.
As Violet’s put upon oldest daughter Barbara, Jane Menelaus gives a steely and assured portrayal. Barbara’s husband is cheating on her and her daughter is experimenting in ways that she hasn’t the maturity to handle; neither of which are issues Barbara has the strength to deal with under the pressure of coping with the results of her father’s disappearance while being berated by her accusatory and controlling mother. Menelaus’ sense of tension and defeat are excellent, accurately portraying a woman who is fighting battles she feels she has already lost. The strength and conviction of her performance help drive this behemoth of a story through to its conclusion.
Heidi Arena bursts onto stage in Act Two as the bubbly and self-interested sister Karen, creating a wonderful contrast with the exhausted Barbara and their quiet sister with a secret, Ivy. Rebekah Stone as Ivy comes into her own in the second act, as revelations are revealed, and the three women play beautifully off each other when they come together after getting their mother under control.
A woman with such insidious methods of manipulation as Violet is never going to be easy to control though and it’s not long before she’s using the knowledge she’s long kept to herself to gain her way.
At the end of the day, August: Osage County is a play that has been written to create work for an ensemble of actors - the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, of which Letts is a member. This has allowed the more basic story of Violet and her relationship with her daughters to be demonstrated within the context of the entire extended Weston family, including Violet’s sister, Mattie Fae Aiken (played by Deidre Rubenstein) and her family. The richness that this adds to the tale is undeniable and provides some interesting sub-plots, but in the end creates an uneconomical script that is longer and more convoluted than it really needs to be. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but one wonders if the crux of the story was retained and the extraneous plots and characters were removed, if the tale would be any less affecting? That being said, while the first act takes a bit to kick into gear, once Act Two’s fateful family dinner takes place the audience is hooked and it’s no chore to return for the third act with its bitter, yet ultimately satisfying ending.
Through this structure, there are many thankless roles in the ensemble but of these George Whaley, as Violet’s husband Beverly, sets up the story well; Tess Masters, as the Native American carer and housekeeper Johnna, brings warm subtlety to the bewilderment of an outsider caught up in this mess through necessity; Kellie Jones, as Barbara’s louche daughter Jean, brings real believability to the innocence and naivety of a girl growing up too fast; Michael Robinson as Mattie Fae’s son Little Charles and co-conspirator in secret with Ivy, brings perfect nerdy balance to the loser who’s found his purpose; and Roger Oakley, as Mattie Fae’s husband Charles, brings wonderful male energy to create an uncle anyone could recognise through beautifully timed comedy and brilliant strength in the final act. Rubenstein seems to have decided that Mattie Fae is a direct descendent of her character in last year’s MTC production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and channels Big Mama throughout, blurring the line between playing ‘annoying’ and being annoying. Only when revelations occur in the final act does she begin to redeem herself.
Note must be made of Dale Ferguson’s stunning three-storey set design which blows you away from the first moment you enter the theatre. With legitimate full-scale rooms on the upper floors, playing space on the stage is manifold and allows the audience to witness what’s going on with numerous members of the family throughout the house at once. The only minor issue with this is that sometimes directionally this creates distraction from the real action, but it’s a delight for those that enjoy realism and immersion in their theatre.
Director (and MTC Artistic Director) Simon Phillips has made an excellent choice in bringing this superb piece of writing to Melbourne with the casting of Niven being a masterstroke. The measured pace of the first act could be tightened somewhat, but the life that buzzes throughout Acts Two and Three demonstrates Phillips’ intelligent management of his cast through a significant piece of work.
A three-act play running for three hours and twenty minutes (including intervals) could be a burden on its audiences, but August: Osage County is certainly not. This spectacular piece of work is worth every minute and should at least be rewarded with full houses; if not the same award night accolades its New York cousin has earned. Don’t miss it.
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