Outstanding Performances, Raw Emotion Highlight the Rep’s Intense “August”

August: Osage County
by Tracy Letts
Directed by Amelia Acosta Powell
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
March 22, 2024

The Pulitzer Prize-winning caustic comedy-drama August: Osage County is the latest offering from the Rep, and it’s a stunning one. Already a well-known play, this intense portrait of a dysfunctional family in crisis is full of biting humor, over-the-top emotions, and deep tragedy, all brought to the staging with crisp pacing and excellent direction by Amelia Acosta Powell, and featuring a truly stellar cast with no weak links. It also features some truly dazzling production values, including a house you may even want to live in.

This is a story a lot of people can relate to, I think, because all families have their drama and tensions, even if they are not necessarily as extreme as those of the Westons, the large, frequently contentious Oklahoma family featured in this story. As the play begins, celebrated poet and aging patriarch Beverly Weston (Joneal Joplin) is explaining his situation to Johnna (Shyla Lefner), a young, even-tempered Cheyenne woman that he is hiring to be the family housekeeper and caretaker, against the wishes of his ailing and volatile wife, Violet (Ellen McLaughlin), who is suffering from mouth cancer and is also addicted to various painkillers. Soon, Beverly goes missing, and the family is forced to come together, including their three adult daughters, including the eldest, Barbara (Henny Russell), who travels from Colorado with her professor husband, Bill (Michael James Reed) and moody teenage daughter, Jean (Isa Venere). Middle daughter Ivy (Claire Karpen) lives locally but feels neglected and demeaned by her caustic mother, and youngest daughter Karen (Yvonne Woods) shows up later along with her creepy fiancé, Steve (Brian Slaten), seemingly ignoring his increasingly suspicious behavior. Also in the mix are Violet’s opinionated sister, Mattie Fae (Astrid Van Wieren) and her affable husband, Charlie (Alan Knoll), along with their son Little Charles (Sean Wiberg), who is constantly berated and belittled by his mother. The local sheriff, Deon (David Wassilak) is leading the search for Beverly, and brings back memories for former high school prom date Barbara. What ensues is a tale of remembrance, regret, dysfunctional relationships, crushed hopes and dreams, substance abuse, and occasional violence and inappropriate behavior on a multitude of levels. 

Very few of the characters are truly likable, but some are more sympathetic than others, and anyone who has had family drama will likely find something to relate to. What rings the most true in this production is the relationship between the three very different adult sisters, and their love-hate relationship with their often sharp-tongued mother. There’s also a believable build-up of tension as the family assembles and attempts to have a formal dinner, with many harsh revelations to follow. The pacing is brisk, even for this especially long play, so that there are no dull moments, and the cast is energetic with impressive cohesion and sometimes combative chemistry.

McLaughlin as Violet gives a powerhouse performance, making this difficult character compelling even as she is unapologetically vicious and caustic. Still, the depth is there, as with most of the characterizations here. Nothing is too over-the-top, even with a larger-than-life character like Violet, and with the also excellent Russell as Barbara, who finds herself matching wits with Violet and holding her own. There are also strong turns form Karpen as the often-overlooked Ivy, and Woods as the somewhat clueless, defensive Karen. Venere as the sometimes surly Jean, and Reed as the exasperated Bill are also impressive, as are Van Wieren and Knoll as the somewhat mismatched Mattie Fae and Charlie, along with Wiberg as the browbeaten but well-meaning Little Charles. Slaten, as the sleazy Steve, and Wassilak, as the helpful Deon, round out the superlative cast that brings every bit of energy and emotion to this intensely dramatic and sometimes wickedly funny script.

In a technical sense, the Rep always has great production values, but they take them to the next level this time, with a set by Regina Garcia that represents a large, well-furnished house to the point where it seems invitingly real. There’s also excellent, detailed costuming by Sonia Álvarez that suits the characters well in keeping with the setting and tone of the show. The lighting by Xavier Pierce and sound by Amanda Werre, along with  music composed by Avi Amon, also adds to the overall atmosphere of the play.

This is a highly emotional, precisely directed, superbly acted production of August: Osage County that makes the most of its three-and-a-half hour running time. With some unsettling and difficult subject matter, it’s not for all ages, but it’s a challenging and remarkable work of theatre. In terms of sheer dramatic quality, it’s the Rep at its best.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting August: Osage County until April 7, 2024