AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY Comes To The Ordway

"August: Osage County," the 2008 Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play that tells the bitingly funny and sensationally entertaining tale of the Weston family of Pawhuska, Okla., is coming to Ordway Center for the Performing Arts on March 16 for one week only.

The play stars Academy Award-winner Estelle Parsons in the role of the family matriarch, Violet. Parsons played Violet in the Broadway production of "August: Osage County" from June 2008 through May 2009, where The New York Times raved, "Estelle Parsons gives a superb performance...sends chills down your spine. It may prove to be a crowning moment in an illustrious career." This production's memorable cast also boasts two Minnesotans: Stephen D'Ambrose (u/s Beverly, u/s Charlie) and Barbara Kingsley (u/s Violet, u/s Mattie Fae).
Written by 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Letts ("Superior Donuts," "Man From Nebraska," "Killer Joe," "Bug"), this grand and gripping new play tells the story of the Westons, a large extended clan that comes together at their rural Oklahoma homestead after the alcoholic patriarch disappears. Forced to confront unspoken truths and astonishing secrets, the family must also contend with Violet, a pill-popping, deeply unsettled woman at the center of the storm.

Directed by 2008 Tony Award-winner Anna D. Shapiro, "August: Osage County" is a rare theatrical event: a large-scale work filled with 13 unforgettable characters, a powerful tragic-comedy told with unflinching honesty and the unforgettable breakthrough of a major American playwright. "August: Osage County" was produced and premiered by Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago in 2007.

Nominated for seven Tony Awards and winning five, including Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Director, along with Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and New York Drama Critics Circle Awards, including Best Play, Best Director and Best Scenic Design, "August: Osage County" opened at the Imperial Theatre Broadway on December 4, 2007 to wide critical acclaim. The New York Times called "August: Osage County" "The most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years," and it was voted The #1 Play of the Year by Time, The Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly, and TimeOut New York. After a sold-out engagement at the Imperial Theatre, the show re-opened at the Music Box Theatre on April 29, 2008. "August: Osage County" closed on Broadway on June 28, 2009 after 648 performances and 18 previews, surpassing "The Heidi Chronicles," "Master Class," "The Real Thing," and "Doubt," among many others, to become one of the longest running plays in Broadway history.

The show, which the London critics hailed as "the must-see play of the year - possibly a lifetime," opened to rave reviews at The National Theatre on November 26, 2008, where it played a limited eight-week engagement featuring members of the original Broadway company. The London production was nominated for four Olivier Awards, winning one (Best Scenic Design).

The show's creative team includes Tony Award-winner Todd Rosenthal (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), Ann G. Wrightson (lights), Richard Woodbury (sound) and David Singer (original music). "August: Osage County" is produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler and Jerry Frankel.

For this production, Ordway will be hosting an Ordway Extra program at 6:30 p.m. and Post-show Talk Back on Wednesday, March 17. To learn more about these events, visit ordway.org/events.

Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Ordway is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading not-for-profit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Main Hall and McKnight Theatre stages attract diverse audiences with an array of productions encompassing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance, jazz, and vocal performance. In addition, each year Ordway presents its Flint Hills International Children's Festival and serves over 50,000 children and adults through its Ordway Center Education programs. The Ordway is part of a unique Arts Partnership with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and the Schubert Club, hosting their renowned productions each season. The Ordway is also proud to sponsor the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, a professionally guided academic and artistic environment that trains aspiring pre-professional performing artists in the areas of instrumental and vocal music, theater and dance.

Performance and Ticket Information
"August: Osage County"
March 16 - 21, 2010
Times vary

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102

$49.50 - $75.50 (includes all fees)
Box Office: 651.224.4222
Groups: 651.282.3111
ordway.org

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