by Tracy Letts
dir. David Pausch, asst. Elliott Puckette
prod. Bonnie Balke – Mercury Players Theater 2017

Photography by Jonathan Miner

A vanished father. A pill-popping mother. Three sisters harboring shady little secrets. When the Weston family unexpectedly reunites after Dad disappears, their Oklahoma family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets. Mix in Violet, the drugged-up, scathingly acidic matriarch, and you’ve got an amazing play that unflinchingly – and uproariously – exposes the dark side of a Midwestern American family.

CAST

Beverly Weston – Coleman
Violet Weston – Peggy Rosin
Barbara Fordham – Miranda Hawk
Ivy Weston – Deborah Hearst
Karen Weston – Kelsey Caitlin Bonney
Bill Fordham – John Jajewski
Jean Fordham – Stacey Garbarski
Steve Heidebrecht – Jim Chiolino
Mattie Fae Aiken – Jamie England
Charlie Aiken – Lee Waldhart
Little Charles – Matthew Korda
Johnna Monevata – Gina M. Gómez
Sheriff Deon Gilbeau – Edric Johnson

PRODUCTION TEAM

Stage Manager – Nina Kenefick
Assistant Stage Manager – Katherine Johnson
Technical Director – Gretchen Wheat
Scenic Design – Dan Myers
Costume – Franne Lee
Props – Lauren Rusch
Original Music – Claire Kannapell and Timothy Fehling
Lighting – Steven Peterson
Fight Choreography – Whitney Derendinger
Sound Engineer – Britton Rea
Master Carpenter – Trenton Bowen
Scenic Painter – Kaleigh Richards
Wardrobe – Maxine Fleckner Ducey

Isthmus Review

​”Deftly directed by David Pausch, the play features Madison’s own cast of superstars whose work in a complicated ensemble, as well as in individual moments, is astounding.”

“Pausch keeps the play moving with inventive staging, using every doorway and corner of the remarkable, multi-level set…”

2017 Bartell Theatre Awards

Best Production of the Season
Best Ensemble
Best Actress in a Comedy – Peggy Rosin (Violet)
Best Fight Choreography – Whitney Derendinger