Press Release: Curio Theatre Company presents Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Crimes of the Heart
Curio Theatre Company follows its Fringe hit staged at the Woodlands and opens its Mainstage Season with Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Crimes of the Heart. This smart and surprisingly funny portrait of a dysfunctional family is directed by Gay Carducci and runs November 15-December 9. Opening Night is Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. Most performances are Thursday–Saturday at 8 p.m. There is no show on Thanksgiving. Industry Night is Monday, November 20 at 8 p.m. and there is an added show Wednesday, December 6 at 8 p.m. All performances are held at Curio’s home in the Calvary Center for Culture and Community at 4740 Baltimore Ave. Tickets cost $15-$30 and are available online www.curioutheatre.org or by phone at 215-921-8243.
In Crimes of the Heart, the Magrath sisters, Lenny, Meg, and Babe, are reunited at their family home in Hazlehurst Mississippi after Babe shoots her husband. Each one is facing down her own demons, past and present. Lenny cares for the grandfather who raised her as he dies, Meg grapples with dreams that didn’t come true, and Babe squares off against an abusive spouse. It’s a portrait of a dysfunctional family, but Beth Henley’s Pulitzer prize winning play finds laughter within tragedy.
Crimes of the Heart won the 1981 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best American Play and the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In the Curio Production, Lenny is played by Rachel Gluck, Meg is played by Colleen Hughes, and Babe is played by Tessa Kuhn. Lesley Berkowitz is Chick. Harry Slack is Doc. Chase Byrd is Barnett. Curio Artistic Director Paul Kuhn is the Set Designer. Tim Martin is the Lighting Designer. Damien Figueras is the Sound Designer. Aetna Gallagher is the Costume Designer.
The show’s director Gay Carducci said, Crimes of the Heart touches on so many complexities of human behavior — vulnerability, insecurity, love, passion, and dedication. The two that stand out to me are hope and hopelessness. One causes some people to surrender. The other encourages a fight to continue. We watch the Magrath sisters weave through these throughout the play. It also challenges the audience (and the actors) to love characters that are flawed, dysfunctional, and commit crimes both large and small. I love them all. They are us!”
About Curio Theatre Company
Curio Theatre Company’s mission is to serve audiences in West Philadelphia and beyond with high quality, affordable theatre performances; to develop artistic talent through ensemble, company-based training and rehearsal processes; and to further academic, social, and personal development through arts education. The artistic and the educational arms of the theatre company are intertwined as we make our home in the diverse community of West Philadelphia. The company’s Educational program was just awarded the 2017 Victory Theatre Education Award at the Barrymore Awards Ceremony. It marked the company’s first Barrymore Award. Curio Theatre Company is a 501(c)3 non-profit company based in West Philadelphia. We are currently in our 12th season. The Company was founded by professional artists and administrators who met at the Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, PA, over the past 15 years and incorporated as a non-profit organization in October 2004. After touring locally and internationally for several years, the Company began a search for a permanent home. In January 2005, Curio Theatre Company joined in partnership with the Calvary Center for Culture and Community at 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia. This partnership provides Curio with a performance venue and classrooms within the Calvary Center as well as office space and company housing in the adjacent parish house. In return Curio is assisting the Calvary Center in creating a professional Performing Arts Venue in the heart of West Philadelphia.
