I SAW A PLAY, ONCE. . .

"August: Osage County"
by Tracy Letts
produced by and at Steppenwolf
Chicago
Aug 26, 2007

These women love to cuss and swear, don't they! The uglier and more vulger the better, right? Like Deanna Dunagan's picture on the cover of the program. Don't you just look forward to seeing more of her face! Gawd Almighty!

The author of this 3 hour and twenty minute misery-marathon did not have much to say, at all. The Protagonist, in the form of a young Native-American woman, was pretty much mute and immobil from beginning to end, so basically, she was just a tape recorder for all the squabbling amongst a family of Antagonists. An inactive Protagonist makes for an inactive Drama. Zero equals zero. I ought to include the Sheriff's Deputy as one of the Protagonists. He, too, didn't have much to say, and was seen on stage, infrequently.

This production, actually, mirrors Steppenwolf's subscription audiences rather well: the voice of the Protagonist (the production company) is drowned out by the voices of the Antagonists (the audience). The inmates are running the institution.