PLAY READING: Crimes of the Heart

Description

NHTP's popular play reading series returns for a second season with Crimes of the Heart. Warmhearted, irreverent, zany and brilliantly imaginative, Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play examines the plight of three young Mississippi sisters betrayed by their passions.

In Hazlehurst, Mississippi, the three Magrath sisters gather to await news of their grandfather, who is living out his last hours in the local hospital. Lenny, the oldest sister, is unmarried at 30 and facing diminishing marital prospects; Meg, the middle sister, who quickly outgrew Hazlehurst, is back after a failed singing career on the West Coast, and Babe, the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her husband in the stomach. Their troubles, grave yet somehow hilarious, are highlighted by their priggish cousin, Chick, and by Babe’s awkward young lawyer, who has clearly fallen in love with her.

Honest, touching and consistently hilarious, Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play teems with humanity and humor. The playreading of Crimes of the Heart is directed by Genevieve Aichele and features Amy Desrosiers, Stephanie Lazenby, Matt Racine, Jim Sears, Kathleen Somssich and Constance Witman. Jess Gero is the Stage Manager and Sound/Light Operator. Co-Producer Kathleen Somssich says, "This Pulitzer prize-winning drama (and successful film) tells the story of three sisters and their scandals with heart and humor. I love its colorful characters and Southern Gothic vibe. Exploring the dynamic of how sisters deal with family tragedy and scandal strikes a chord with me and I know it will with our audiences as well."