| I don't know Neugebauer's work (though I should), but was most impressed with her handling of this challenging Letts story, fragmented, "compartmentalized" (work in the text), and layered. I've been posting about the play since I first read it about 2 years ago, asking those who saw it in Chicago how it worked on the stage. I found it a riveting read, but wondered about its provocative collage-like structure in the theater. Neugebauer makes a persuasive case, and with this stellar company, most impressive Blair Brown, Susan Pourfar, and riveting, heart-stopping work between Kellie Overbey and David Aaron Baker, it's a haunting small canvas portrait, one that expands and deepens over the 90 minutes, every moment of stage time earned. Not for everyone, and "August Osage" fans will miss that play's brio and fireworks. But my admiration for Letts' decision to keep a lid on potential melodrama, to show us the quieter moments between the tragic markers in a life rather than to exploit the bigger incidents, has not dimmed. This is a very brief run, and I'd recommend this production to anyone. If you've never seen Neugebauer's work, this is a powerful introduction. |
