ugust: Osage County by Tracy Letts is the first play in a long time that got me excited about theatre as an art form, so much so that I want to see more plays. It is the rare American play of a time when large ensembles, big sets and incredible acting made the theatre a more exciting place than the movies. Well, hail this Steppenwolf production for its cast, acting, drama, comedic one-liners, and overall aplomb. You just gotta love this play!Letts' script is an overarching bridge connecting the secrets of a big ol' American family. As the beans slowly spill over about three hours, the characters have no choice but to learn each other, which they've obviously been avoiding for their whole lives. It contains multiple threads of discussion, from different forms of escapism to the pompous feeling of our generation over our parents', that are applicable to all of us. The cast do a wonderful job of tackling these with their true-to-life depictions of their characters over the course of some impressive and unforgettable scenes, the first of which is the dinner scene. The absolute energy of that scene was not comparable to anything I have seen in a long time, which is kudos to the writer, director and actors.
For a generation who's been bombarded with minimalistic, self-indulgent pieces of prose and verse, this is a breath of fresh air from the past. It is a grand production that will hold you to it until the last minute and make you wish you hadn't praised that minimalistic bullshit you had seen a few weeks ago as deep. Everyone, this is theatre. This is what theatre should be. Enjoy.
