Pulitzer Prize-winning play proves you can indeed go home again
Avon Players’ season continues with a bittersweet story of three women coming home and reconciling the trajectory of their messy lives with their small-town upbringing in Crimes of the Heart, running November 8-23.
In Hazelhurst, Mississippi, the three Magrath sisters have gathered to await news of their cantankerous grandfather, who is living out his last hours in the local hospital. Lenny (Lisa Denomme), the oldest, is the unmarried family caretaker and fears for her diminishing marital prospects. Meg (Tara Makar), the free-wheeling middle sister, is back after a failed singing career on the West Coast. Babe (Maia Fetter), the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her husband in the stomach and brings with her Barnette (Luigi Murri), the awkward young lawyer trying to keep her out of jail while falling helplessly in love with her. Their troubles are equal parts grave and hilarious and subject to the judgment of their priggish cousin, Chick (Kelly Miller). Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this touching family story depicts three very different women each trying to escape the prison of her past mistakes to seize a brighter future.
Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart has the distinction of being the first play to win the Pulitzer Prize before having been produced on Broadway. The playwright completed her play in 1978, and her attempts to get several regional theaters to produce it were unsuccessful. All of this changed when a friend of Henley’s submitted the work without the playwright’s knowledge to the Great American Play Contest at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. Soon, many regional theaters were mounting productions. It had its Broadway debut in 1981, and the production launched the career of actor Peter MacNicol (Sophie’s Choice, TV’s Ally McBeal). Henley adapted her play for the 1986 film of the same name starring Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, and Sissy Spacek. Actor Kathleen Turner directed a 2007 production of the play for the Williamstown Theatre Festival featuring Tony Award winner Sarah Paulson which then transferred to Off-Broadway in 2008.
Director Angel Maclean was drawn to the material because of the character’s internal struggles and how those affect their relationships. “The ‘crimes’ of the title are actually emotional wounds that each woman carries with her and if these crimes carry punishments, they are largely self-imposed,” Maclean said. “Audience members of all ages and experiences will relate to the sisters as they navigate the tension between doing what they think other expect of them and following their true hearts’ desires.”
Tickets for all shows are $28. Call 248-608-9077 for tickets or order online at www.AvonPlayers.org. Discounts on group rates are available by calling the box office. “Like” Avon Players Theatre on Facebook for special offers on tickets. All major credit cards are accepted. All seats are reserved. Show dates and times follow:
- Friday, November 8, 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday, November 9, 8:00 p.m
- Sunday, November 10, 2:00 p.m.
- Friday, November 15, 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday, November 16, 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, November 17, 2:00 p.m.
- Friday, November 22, 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday, November 23, 8:00 p.m.
Avon Players is celebrating its 78th season of bringing quality entertainment to its community. Founded in 1947, Avon Players is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit community theatre located along the winding banks of Stoney Creek in the quaint Historic District of Rochester Hills, only about two miles from the heart of downtown Rochester. Avon Players has been performing shows in its unique A-frame theater since 1965. With ticket prices set at a fraction of those at professional theaters (plus free parking), a family of four can experience a sensational live theatrical event for about the cost of one ticket at a “downtown” venue. And for regular theatregoers, an affordable outing can be an even better bargain by taking advantage of Avon Players’ season ticket packages, which yield discounts of up to 20% per ticket. Additionally, season ticket holders enjoy priority seating selection and voting privileges in Avon’s annual “Stoney Awards.” Additional information regarding tickets and productions is available by calling the Avon Players box office at 248-608-9077 or by visiting the website www.AvonPlayers.org.
Cast and Production Staff by Community:
Auburn Hills
- Jeffrey Monterosso (“Doc”)
Clinton Township
- Patty Hagel (Set Dress)
Macomb
- Lisa Denomme (“Lenny”)
Oakland
- Angel Maclean (Director)
Rochester
- Maia Fetter (“Babe”)
- Lana Hastings (Makeup/Hair Design)
- Caitlin O’Brien (Properties Design)
Rochester Hills
- John (JD) Deierlein (Lighting Design)
Royal Oak
- Tara Makar (“Meg”)
Shelby Township
- Kelly Miller (“Chick,” Costume Design)
- Luigi Murri (“Barnette,” Properties Design)
- Mark Palmer (Producer, Sound Design)
Waterford
- Jeff Stillman (Set Design)