Lay down the law – Harper Ensemble Theatre Company is bringing Crimes of the Heart to the Black Box Theatre in Building R on March 8-10 and 15-17. This tragic play delves deep into heartache all while maintaining a sharp sense of humor, and is not one to miss.
The play is set in Mississippi, five years after category five Hurricane Camille. Three sisters – Lenny (Molly Rosen), Meg (Lily Barger) and Babe (Jenna Fleita) – are suffering separately and in silence after the suicide of their mother. It isn’t until Babe is put in jail for shooting her husband that the sisters are finally reunited. This reunion reopens old wounds, and it’s soon revealed Babe isn’t the only one in need of support.
“I’ve always loved Crimes of the Heart. It’s a dark southern gothic kind-of comedy,” said director and professor Kevin Long.
The show’s Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Beth Henley, will be in attendance on the 8th and 9th. Long admits he’s been lucky when it comes to playwrights coming to campus.
“We’re really excited she’s coming. It’s a big deal,” Long said. He explains that Henley is the second writer in the last four years to come to campus. “This is unheard of, [but students] are kinda used to it by now. This isn’t small potatoes.”
Professor Long is committed to his process. His work on Crimes began months before any audition was held. Flipping through Long’s copy of the script, it’s apparent that he dissects every word on the page and works them into his stage directions. Beside the script itself, his research uses articles about past productions and notes upon notes, all color-coded and painstakingly organized.
“I’ve got to know this thing inside and out if I’m gonna be captain of the ship,” Long said. “I have to figure out how all these characters fit into the spine of why this play was written.”
Along with dramaturg Mary T. Christel and specialist dramaturgy consultant David Antonides, Long will be holding a pre-show conversation March 10 and 17. They will divulge their process on developing the show and its characters.
For this show, Long selected second-year Harper student Nicole Dudek to be assistant director. She speaks highly of Long and his eye for detail. Dudek explained that – true to form for Long – she was selected for her role as assistant director long before the official casting process began. She sat in on pre-planning meetings with Long and for the first weeks of production, where she simply observed him.
“Every moment of staging is meticulously pre-planned,” said Dudek. “Without having to ask, I know almost exactly what he wants.”
Long’s energy and passion shines through his directing, and the actors feed off that infectious energy. The actors spoke highly of each other and Long’s style of directing.
“It’s awesome to bounce off each other,” Harper alum Molly Rosen said. She plays the eldest sister, Lenny Magrath. Rosen was in last year’s spring play, Lettie. This production marks her third show at Harper. “I get to share this stage with two beautiful, talented girls. I’m happy to be in a show with a few more jokes.”
Crimes of the Heart tackles difficult subject matters, but never allows itself to wallow. There’s a message of hope woven throughout the tragedies the sisters face: “You’re not alone”.
