Quirky comedy "Crimes of the Heart" will grab you
Published 6:40 pm Thursday, November 12, 2009
Even if you’re not a regular at The Phoenix Theatre, the set for “Crimes of the Heart” will surprise you. It caused one patron to exclaim, “I want that kitchen.”
You just want to sit right down at the table, pour some cocoa and play cards. Clearly, this was the center of the world for the three Magrath sisters, Meg, Babe and Lenny.
In “Crimes of the Heart,” the sisters reunite in the kitchen at Old Granddaddy’s home in Hazlehurst, Miss., after Babe shoots her abusive husband.
In this kitchen, we watch each of the sisters’ lives unravel. Bursts of passion and dynamite dialogue expose the frayed edges of their sisterly bond, making us laugh out loud and shed some tears.
The highly charged actors delivered a perfect rendition of this dark and quirky comedy about a dysfunctional family of sisters still reeling from their mother’s suicide.
This sisterly squad is led by Lenny, who is all woman under her spinster’s frock but who is plagued with feeling less than feminine because of her “withered ovary.” Heidi Jean Weinrich produced a strong yet sympathetic Lenny; Weinrich made us root for Lenny, hoping that life would finally give her a chance.
As the sexy bad-girl sister we all envy, Meg was played by the spirited Sara Trowbridge, who sashayed all over that kitchen, swinging her hips and saucy attitude from stage left to right. It was great to watch.
The sugar-addicted Babe was played by the ever-reliable Kayti Barnett, who was one part adorable and two parts hilarious. Her reasons for shooting her husband start out blurry (“I found it impossible to laugh at his jokes any more”) but becomes clear that her affair with a black man and her husband’s abuse caused her to finally pull the trigger to change her life.
These gals were joined by judgmental first-cousin Chick (Chris Baltrukovicz), whose Biloxi-born ways caused spasms of laughter whenever she set her high heels on stage, starting from her first scene where she pulled up an undersized pair of pantyhose: “They are just skimpin’ on the nylon material.”
Solid performances were delivered by the two men in the show, Adam Broback as Barnette and David Bailey, who also directed, as Doc.
“Crimes of the Heart” captivates you in the kitchen of these women’s lives where you are spellbound to see what these sisters will cook up.
“Crimes of the Heart”
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 29 at The Phoenix Theatre, 9673 Firdale Ave., Edmonds. Tickets are $22.50, $18 and $12. Call 206-533-2000 or go to www.phoenixtheatreedmonds.com.
