"August: Osage County": starts early June

August: Osage County

The Most Award Winning Play of This Century

 including seven 2008 Tony Awards and seven 2008 Drama Desk Awards

 

"Misery Loves Family"
Theatre Ensemble closes  its exciting and diverse 2014-2015 season with the Tracy Letts, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play, "August: Osage County".

 

The show runs for eight performances – Thursday June 4, Friday June 5, Saturday June 6, Sunday June 7, Thursday June 11, Friday June 12, Saturday June 13, and Sunday June 14. All performances are at 7:30PM except Sundays which are 2PM matinees.

Tickets are $18 and are available at the Cardinal Music Box Office, 2569 Jefferson Boulevard, 519-944-5800 or at 226-346-SHOW (7469) and www.theatreensemble.ca  Tickets will also be available at the door on performances.

Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best New Play, August: Osage County centers around the Weston family, brought together after their patriarch, world-class poet and alcoholic Beverly Weston, disappears. The devious matriarch, Violet, depressed and addicted to pain pills and “truth-telling”, is joined by her three daughters and their problematic lovers, who harbor their own deep secrets. Barbara Fordham, the eldest daughter is the strongest and most sympathetic character. Throughout the play she tries to gain control of her chaotic mother, her dilapidated marriage, and her pot-smoking 14 year old daughter;  Ivy Weston, the stay at home middle daughter who has had to endure the acid tongue of her mother. She has been maintaining a secret love affair with her first cousin. (And if you think that sounds like a Jerry Springer episode, just wait till you see Act Three!): and Karen Weston the youngest daughter who claims to have been unhappy her entire adult life, prompting her to move away from the family and reside in Florida. However, she returns to the Weston home bringing along a fiancé in tow – a successful 50 year old business man who, unbeknownst to Karen, turns out to by the most loathsome character within the play.  Throw in a meddling sister and finally, the observer of the chaos, the young Cheyenne housekeeper Johnna, who was hired by Beverly just before his disappearance. Holed up in the large family estate in Osage County, Oklahoma, tensions heat up and boil over in the ruthless August heat. Bursting with humor, vivacity, and intelligence, August: Osage County is is both dense and funny, vicious and compassionate, enormous and unstoppable.                                                                                

The cast includes, Norma Coleman as the matriarch, Niki Richardson, Kristie Loewen and Christine Chemello as her daughters.  The production also stars James Neely, Jim Reid, Cindy Lee Kok, Rick Laforet, Adrienne Kelly, Ola Straszak, Jay Tessier, Clinton Hammond and Chris Powers and is directed by Mario Carnevale who recently directed "It's a Wonderful Life" for Theatre Ensemble and "Driving Miss Daisy" with Windsor Light Players.

Theatre Ensemble’s Creative Team includes John Anthony Nabben (Artistic Director), Mario Carnevale (Managing Director), and Joe Cardinal (Musical Director). The combined efforts of these theatre practitioners has resulted in a company that produces what local audiences describe as “must-see theatre” that is “awesome”, “outstanding”, and “spectacular”.

Bursting with humor, vivacity, and intelligence, August: Osage County is is both dense and funny, vicious and compassionate, enormous and unstoppable.

 

For more information contact Mario Carnevale at 519-969-8855, email tetickets@cogeco.net or visit www.theatreensemble.ca








by Alan Halberstadt www.alanhalberstadt.com