An abundance of drama unfolds between three sisters in the Grand Valley State University production of “Crimes of the Heart,” by playwright Beth Henley. Six performances, are scheduled for two weekends: November 11-12 and November 17-19, at 7:30 p.m. and a matinee Sunday, November 13, at 2 p.m., will be given in the Louis Armstrong Theatre, Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus.
A special offer on half-price tickets, regularly $6-$12, ends
at the close of business Friday, October 28. Call the Louis
Armstrong Theatre Box Office at 616-331-2300, or Startickets at
800-585-3737, or visit www.startickets.com.
The tragic comedy is set in 1974, in the Magrath family kitchen
in Hazelhurst, Miss. Adult sisters Lenny (Alyssa Simmert), Meg (Sophie
Ni) and Babe (Taylor Barton) reunite at their Grandparents’ home,
where sibling rivalries resurface, along with a slew of new
problematic circumstances.
“The ways these sisters try to solve their problems is what
brings humor to their tragic situations,” said director Rob Radkoff
Ek, a visiting assistant professor of theatre. “The sisters were
raised by grandparents after their father abandoned them and their
mother committed suicide. Each of them brings a new set of issues back
to their childhood home.”
The all-student cast includes three supporting roles: cousin
Chick (Krista Scott), lawyer Barnett (Chaz Bratton), and Doc (Brad
Alonzo). Southern Gothic elements abound, as the sisters try to put
closure on past events and draw on the strength of family bonds to
start fresh.
Ek says the realistic set will have a spacious but lived-in look
to it, with period aesthetics. Pre-show music will set the mood with a
country feel that is alternately somber and uplifting.
“Each of the sisters has a different personality and their own
set of old and new problems,” said Ek. “Throughout the play, their
relationships with each other run from cold, to warm, to hot, as they
discover they need to bond together, no matter what.”
Ek came to Grand Valley in August, from Florida State
University. He has 20 years experience as a theatre professional in
acting, directing and fight directing, and more than 10 years
experience as a university instructor of performance training for actors.
