FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - The Cumberland Theatre continues their 34th Main Stage Season with the award-winning dark comedy August: Osage County, which will run August 25th – September 4th.
Written by Tracy Letts, the play won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for drama and has been produced in regional theatres all over the world since its premiere at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.
The play centers around the Weston family, brought together after their patriarch, world-class poet and alcoholic Beverly Weston, disappears. The matriarch, Violet, depressed and addicted to pain pills and “truth-telling,” is joined by her three daughters and their problematic lovers, who harbor their own deep secrets, her sister Mattie Fae and her family, well-trained in the Weston family art of cruelty, and finally, the observer of the chaos, the young Cheyenne housekeeper Johnna, who was hired by Beverly just before his disappearance. Holed up in the large family estate in Osage County, Oklahoma, tensions heat up and boil over in the ruthless August heat. With rich insight and brilliant humor, Letts paints a vivid portrait of a Midwestern family at a turning point.
August: Osage County debuted on Broadway in 2007 and played an open run at the Music Box Theatre. It went on to win both the Drama Desk Award and the Tony Award for Outstanding Play. In 2013, a film version was released featuring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper and Benedict Cumberpatch.
The Cumberland Theatre cast features both local and visiting actors. Playing the role of Violet will be Julie Herber of Frederick, MD. Herber is the Associate Director of the Maryland Ensemble Theatre and was last seen at CT as Dottie in Noises Off. Playing the Weston daughters will be Kimberli Rowley (Barbara), Samantha Kennedy (Ivy) and Shea-Mikal Green (Karen). Rowley is the Co-Artistic Director of the Cumberland Theatre and recently appeared as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Kennedy was last seen as Sarah in the musical Company and Green has appeared at CT in The Importance of Being Earnest, Avenue Q and Boeing, Boeing.
Also returning to CT are Matt Baughman (Bill), Mike Virts (Steve), Nicole Halmos (Mattie Fae), Bill Dennison (Little Charles) and Jim Wicker (Charlie). Baughman has appeared with CT in Noises Off, Dracula and Legally Blonde. Virts is the Artistic Director of Our Town Theatre in Oakland and was last seen on the CT stage in A Streetcar Named Desire. Halmos recently starred as Della in this season’s production of The Cake. Dennison last appeared as Austin in True West and Wicker made his debut in 2017’s production of Yankee Tavern and, since then, has appeared in Noises Off and Dracula.
Making their CT debuts will be Cailin Peluso (Jean) and Alexis Geyer (Johnna). Peluso lives in Bel Air, MD and has trained at the New York Film Academy and Everyman Theatre. Geyer is a visiting actor from Kansas City, Missouri.
The cast is rounded out by Seth Thompson (Sheriff Gilbeau) and Tom Valentine as the patriarch (Beverly Weston). Thompson was recently seen as Lee in True West and the titular role in Macbeth. Valentine is a local theatre veteran who has served as the Artistic Director for Up Front Community Theater, Stage Left Theater, Potomac State College, and The Embassy Theatre.
The show is being directed by Nicole Mattis. The creative team is comprised of Jennifer Clark (costume design), Rhett Wolford (set design), Megan O’Brien (lighting design), Eric Ringler (props design), Shea-Mikal Green (intimacy coordinator) and Darrell Rushton (fight director). The run crew consists of Hayden Kline (stage manager), Elizabeth Mudge (assistant stage director), Seth Thompson (fight captain).
Performances will be Thursdays – Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. There will be a complimentary wine and cheese reception following the opening night performance on Friday, August 26th. Tickets can be purchased at cumberlandtheatre.com or by calling the box office at 301-759-4990.
Please note the show contains violence, adult situations and strong language and may not be suitable for all audiences. Parental discretion is encouraged.