Stage Review - Crimes of the Heart (BCT)
Stage Review - Crimes of the Heart
Presented By: Bremerton Community Theatre (BCT) - Bremerton, WA
Show Run: February 2 - February 25, 2024
Date Reviewed: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 (Preview)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
I love a good backstory, especially when it’s one that shows how perseverance, along with a little belief, can help bring something wonderful to life, when it otherwise might have been dead in the water. During my research for the play Crimes of the Heart, I came across one such story. Playwright Beth Henley wrote Crimes of the Heart, the story of three sisters who reunite at their grandfather’s house, he of failing health and currently residing in the hospital, upon learning that sister Babe has shot her abusive husband and has just been released on bail from prison, in 1978. Henley shopped the play around a series of local and regional theaters with no success. At the same time, though, a friend of hers submitted the play to a contest, where it was named co-winner. The rest, as they say, is history. It opened on Broadway in 1981 after some further development, winning a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony nomination for best play. After its Broadway run, and film adaptation in 1986, Crimes of the Heart has been making the rounds in community theatre circles, with its latest stop at Bremerton Community Theatre (BCT), in a production directed by Palmer Scheutzow and running through February 25. Not a bad turn of events for something that almost never happened.
In speaking with Palmer, one of the beautiful things that Henley has done is create a layered story with which directors can exhibit a freedom to make it even richer. And that’s a good way of describing Crimes of the Heart, a rich story, layered with humor and heart. It’s about family, forgiveness, love, and enjoying the little moments in life, because you never know when they’ll come around again. The general plot is as described above. It’s been years since the Magrath sisters have been together, and they’re all in different places in their lives. Lenny (Ruthann Saunders) is responsible for the family home and their grandfathers’ care, Meg (Arianna Wells) is visiting home having moved to Hollywood to pursue her singing career, and Babe (Mia McGlinn) is married and, well, in a little bit of trouble. The audience gets a good look into the lives of the sisters and learns that there’s a lot more to each of their experiences than they might see at face value, and that each of the girls’ situations are a result of Crimes of the Heart, either committed by or perpetrated by them. It’s the learning about these sisters through their conversations and storytelling that is the real joy of this show, and each actor portrays these different and contrasting personalities very well.
Ruthann’s Lenny is the responsible one, but she’s clearly forlorn, resigned, and certainly lonely. She’s looking forward to this reunion, especially Meg’s return, but at the same time she’s doing her best to maintain control over the situation that has largely been thrust upon her. Arianna’s Meg, meanwhile, enters with an aloofness over her perceived success, but she’s also a chainsmoker and enthusiastically in search of a drink, which belies her own pain. Finally, there is Babe. Married, obviously, but it’s also clear that she’s not doing so happily. Mia McGlinn plays an excellent Babe, and her performance is my favorite in the show, not taking anything away from the rest of the cast. The best scenes happen when the sisters are together in the kitchen of their grandfather’s house, but the best of those are when Mia is together alone, with either Ruthann as Lenny or Arianna as Meg. Specifically with the Babe/Meg scenes, Mia and Arianna go deep into the heart of this show, when they open up to each other in a way that feels honest and real.
The sisters aren’t the only characters here, of course. There is Chick Boyle, first cousin to the Magrath sisters and resident moral policeman. Chick is extremely judgmental, but in a play that speaks to the fact that everyone’s halo skews a little crooked now and then, it seems like she’s the outsider in this family, despite what any of the sisters have been through. Brandi Kubat-Snow is Chick in the BCT production and she nails the nosy and judgmental neighbor with a chip on her shoulder. Another friend of the family, in reality more than a friend, is Doc Porter, played by Kristopher Jones. Doc is one of those older gentlemen who had a chance to be someone, but is now living with a combination of resentment and resignation, though neither of these can overcome his heart. These are each layered characters, and it’s fun to watch these actors present them in such a real way. Rounding out the cast is Travis Johnson, as Barnette Lloyd, the young attorney helping Babe fight her legal battle with her husband. Barnette fits the mold of the stereotypical southern lawyer (the show is set in Hazlehurst, MS after all), his drawl is slow, his words deliberate. He’s got his own layers, of course, and his own agenda, but he’s clearly on Babe’s side. Travis’ performance highlights another thing I like about this show, and that is the delivery. It’s the Deep South, things are slower there, life is slow, and the speech is as well. These actors don’t sound like they’re trying to be from Mississippi, they sound like they’re from the region, and that is refreshing to hear.
Palmer’s creative team includes Kevin Matthew, responsible for Lighting and Sound Design, Emily Scheutzow on costumes, Rana Tan, who has produced another wonderful set design, and Ta’Mara Bale, the Stage Manger. It’s a small but mighty group. The first thing I was struck by during this preview performance was the set. I’ve always found Rana’s sets pleasant to look at. There are no complicated trap doors or hidden rooms here, but it’s got everything her sets are known for, wonderful lines, a color palette that works with the setting of the story, and a realism that does more than just act in a support of the show. And while it’s not the first time in the history of theatre, this set represents the first time I’ve seen a set with running water, which may not seem important, but it will when you see Crimes of the Heart. The set also has some dimension to it, having an “outdoor” space that allows the audience to see people leaving the Magrath house after they walk out the door. This seems like a simple design element, but it’s one that brings the audience into the room on stage. Kevin Matthew helps make the house a home through his sound design, including some nice touches that bring the appliances to life in the Magrath kitchen.
Crimes of the Heart, currently onstage at Bremerton Community Theatre, tells the story of the Magrath sisters, who come together after being apart when they find out one of them has come across some trouble. The result of this is two days of confessions, old feelings coming back, and three sisters working together to resolve their pasts and learn to deal with the present. The story is one of family, love, and appreciating what you have and those moments that only happen every so often. The BCT production is very good creatively and it is wonderfully performed. Anyone who has ever had a family, or has been a part of one, is sure to find Crimes of the Heart relatable, heartfelt, and funny.
Crimes of the Heart runs onstage at Bremerton Community Theatre through February 25. For more information, including ticket availability and purchase, visit https://www.bctshows.com/. Note that Crimes of the Heart contains adult language and themes and may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
Photo credit: Kathy Berg
