Little Theatre of Manchester Announces AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

Little Theatre of Manchester will present Tracy Letts' AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY from April 13 to April 29, 2018, at Cheney Hall.

The sweltering August heat of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. A vanished father. A mother that pops pills like jellybeans. Three sisters harboring shameful secrets. Playwright Tracy Letts' brutal and hilarious masterpiece will lift you out of your seat with laughter one moment and stun you into silence the next. But be warned, the Weston's venom-tongued matriarch Violet serves up so much bitter hilarity and poignancy, don't be surprised if you need a few antacids after this family dinner.

Honored in 2008 with the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and five Tony Awards (including Best Play), the Broadway production of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY was reviewed as "hugely entertaining! A ripsnorter full of blistering, funny dialogue, acid-etched characterizations, and scenes of no-holds-barred emotional combat. The fiercely funny and bitingly sad August: Osage County is a turbo-charged tragicomedy that is a feast for actors and audiences alike." by the New York Times.

Artistic Director Michael Forgetta Helms

LTM member Michael Forgetta is directing this family dramedy in his third year as Artistic Director at LTM. Since 1991, Michael has been an active LTM member as an actor, director, and administrator. He has over 30 years of both amateur and professional theater experience, including directing LTM's recent productions of Godspell, Company, and Barefoot in the Park.

"[August] is one of the best plays written in the 21st century. It has comedy, drama, and pathos; it is outrageous, yet connects with reality," says Forgetta. "It's a challenging show for both our actors and audiences. It is a show that needs to be experienced, and we are thrilled to give our patrons a chance to see it."

"But it's a work not for the faint of heart," warns Forgetta. August is suitable for adults and older teenagers, as it contains extremely strong language and mature themes.

Award-Winning Play

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY debuted at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, moving directly to Broadway at the Imperial Theater in 2007. The production transferred to the Music Box Theatre on April 29, 2008. The Broadway show closed on June 28, 2009, after 648 performances and 18 previews, winning 5 Tony Awards: Best Play, Best Leading Actress in a Play (Deanna Dunagan), Best Featured Actress in a Play (Rondi Reed), Best Direction of a Play (Anna D Shapiro), and Best Scenic Design of a Play (Todd Rosenthal). August: Osage County also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2008 Following its Tony Award-winning New York run, the production began its US National Tour in 2009 with Estelle Parsons as the matriarch Violet Weston. August was made into a film in 2013 with Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The film was nominated for two Golden Globes and two Academy Awards.

PASSPORT TO LTM

For the 2018 season, LTM is pleased to continue to offer its PASSPORT TO LTM program. With support from the H. Louise Ruddell Charitable Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, LTM launched PASSPORT TO LTM in 2017 to help ensure that all interested citizens, regardless of their ability to afford it, have access to quality performing arts programs. PASSPORT provides free or deeply subsidized tickets to adults, families, and children identified by area educational, cultural and social service providers.

The Little Theatre of Manchester (LTM) was founded in 1960 with the purpose of producing community theater. Since 1991, Cheney Hall, the state's oldest operating theater, has been the theatrical residence of LTM. Today, programming is comprised of five main-stage theatre productions, numerous concerts, special events, and a range of other cultural, business, civic, and private functions serving a growing, annual audience of approximately 10,000.