Recommended by Gianna Cioffi (Theatre Major, NPblogger 09’-10’)Call number: PS3612.E887 A75 2008
When I first saw this play performed it wasn’t August and I wasn’t anywhere near Osage County. In fact it was January and I was in London. It’s an American story that shows the American family at its absolute best as well as absolute worst. Even in the totality of its Uncle Samness, I was amazed how the humor and strife transcended cultural differences. Maybe it’s because families are the same whether they speak in Spanish, English or Tagalog, all families share the ability to be the best and worst things in life.
I then read it in the oppressive summer heat of New York in contrast to seeing it performed in the English cold. Once more I was swept up into the world of a family returning home to face the tragedy of a father lost to suicide. That only should suffice enough humor and drama for a play. However, Letts doesn’t stop there; instead he splinters the play into multiple plot lines. This makes for a story both complex and truthful. The main plot line centers on the relationship between prescription pill popping addict mother Violet and the oldest daughter Barbara whose own marriage is rapidly deteriorating. This relationship stands strongest amidst the swirling family dramas perhaps because it is clearest in its question that Letts seems to be asking all of us: Why do we destroy the things we love most? Quick, humorous, and thought provoking August: Osage County is the perfect summer read.
