Ben Deane August: Osage County Written by Tracy Letts Cast: 13 Named Characters - 5 Men, 8 Women (Sheriff Deon

could be doubled by Steve or Charles) Special Considerations: Native-American actress. Synopsis: The play takes place in Osage County, Oklahoma in August, over the space of a few weeks. The plot revolves around the disappearance of Beverly Weston, and the reaction (and subsequent disintegration) of his family in his absence. Living with him were his wife Violet, who has a serious drug problem, and is often high and absent-minded, along with one of their daughters Ivy, and a newly-hired Native-American housekeeper called Johnna. When Beverly goes missing, his other daughter Barbara comes to town, along with her husband (separated/divorced) Bill and their teenage daughter Jean. Bill has left Barbara for one of his college students. Also visiting are Violets sister MattieFae, and her husband Charlie. As Jean and Johnna grow close, the Sheriff Deon comes to the house, telling them Beverlys body has been found in a nearby lake (suicide). The next Act takes place after Beverlys funeral. Karen and her fianc Steve are now here. Little Charles (Mattie Fae and Charlies son) eventually shows up, and it is revealed that he is in a relationship with Ivy. As everyone settles down for dinner, Violet comes downstairs in a heavily drug-induced state. She starts aggravating Barbara, who engages in a physical fight with her mother, before subsequently ordering a pill-raid on the house and declaring herself in charge of things now. The third Act begins with Ivy telling her sisters about her relationship with Charles, and that they are planning on running away to New York. Barbara then finds out from Mattie-Fae that Charles is actually Beverlys son, making him and Ivy half-siblings. This is the reason for her dislike of Charles. Later, Steve attempts to molest Jean, and Johnna begins attacking him, due to her earlier established closeness with Jean. Karen is furious at everyone for ganging up on Steve, and tells herself that he is good for her, deciding to leave with him and go to Belize (her dream). Bill takes Jean home with him, refusing to stay with Barbara any longer. Later, Ivy tries to tell her mother of her relationship with Charles, while Barbara tries to stop it. However, Violet surprises them both by revealing she always knew that Charles was Beverlys illegitimate child. Ivy is upset but decides to go with him anyways, leaving Violet behind. Barbara and Violet have another argument, which leads to Barbara leaving, due to the fact that Violet had an idea that Beverly was planning on killing himself. In the end, Violet has gone too far with her drugs, and is left with only Johnna in the house, who is hired to stay there. The Essential Beauty: One has to work hard at family, but it is as important to know when to quit and leave them behind, when they are beyond helping and holding one back.

Metaphor for the Production: Little Bird - Imogen Heap (song) Hiding something. Trying to hard. A family wiped up, J cloth cleaned. Unsaid festers in the throws of the sofa... Little bird, how are you feeling? Like Ive been quarantined... we smell rats in the kitchen...little bird where have you gone? The song is Violets shattered mind in her drug-induced state. The little bird is Barbara.