Friday, May 13, 2011

Jean Visual Conception



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Divorce / Separation Visual Conception


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Distress / Pain Visual Conception


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Violet Visual Conception



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Beverly Visual Conception


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Domestic Violence Visual Conception



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Isolation/ Loneliness/ Estrangement Visual Conception



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Infidelity Visual Conception



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Literature/ Academia/ Piles of Books in House Visual Conception



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“Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot Visual Conception



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Weston House Interior Visual Conception



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Weston House Visual Conception


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"Just got the Plains." Osage County, Oklahoma Plains Visual Conception


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Film Adaptation


Images of Director John Wells


Images of Actresses Streep and Roberts


A film adaptation of August: Osage County is in development and set for release in 2013. The Weinstein Company has bought the film and distribution rights for the script. Tracy Letts, playwright of August: Osage County, has adapted the script into a screenplay. John Wells is set to direct the film. Meryl Streep has been cast in the role of Violet Weston. Julia Roberts has been cast in the role of Barbara Fordham.


Articles on the Film Adaptation of August: Osage County

EW.com Announce Streep and Roberts Cast in August: Osage County Film Adaptation
October 1, 2010

FilmExperience Blog Opinion on Streep and Roberts Casting in the Film Adaptation of August: Osage County
September 30, 2010

Movies.BroadwayWorld.com Tracy Letts on August: Osage County Film Adaptation
February 25, 2010

Tracy Letts Updates Film Status of August: Osage County
November 14, 2009

Gardian.co.uk Announce Weinsteins Pick Up Rights for Film Adaptation
of August: Osage County
November 11, 2008

NYT Announce August: Osage County Film Adaptation
November 11, 2008

Playbill.com Announce Weinsteins Pick Up Rights for Film Adaptation
of August: Osage County
November 11, 2008


IMDB Links for the Creative Team of the Film Adaptation of August: Osage County

IMDB of Film August: Osage County

IMDB of Tracy Letts Screenwriter and Playwright of August: Osage County

IMDB of John Wells Director of the Film Adaptation of August: Osage County

IMDB of Meryl Streep “Violet” in the Film Adaptation of August: Osage County

IMDB of Julia Roberts “Barbara” in the Film Adaptation of August: Osage County

Audience Talk-Back Questions





 1. What images or moments from the show have stayed with you or stood out to you?

2. Could you relate to the Weston family?

3. Why with such dark subject matter was the play funny? What made you laugh?

4. Did anything in the play make you uncomfortable?

5. Was there anything in the play you did not understand or did not agree with?

6. What does Bill mean when he says that he’s “got the Plains.”?

7. Is it wrong for children to move away from their parents, especially away from elderly parents with mental and physical illnesses?

8. Do you think Violet wanted or allowed her husband Beverly to commit suicide?

9. What do you think will happen to Violet and Johnna?

10. Do you think the Weston family will ever come together again?

Production Program Contents

Advisory
Be advised that this production contains cigarette smoke, strong language, drug use, violence, alcohol, and pedophilia.


Family Tree
Example of a Weston Family Tree from the Steppenwolf Theatre Production of August: Osage County


Poem “August: Osage County”
The Poem “August: Osage County” from the Book Family Album by Howard Stark where the Play’s Name Derives


Brief Summary and Note from the Dramaturg

It is a furnace-hot August in 2007 in the small, mid-western town of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, USA, sixty miles northwest of Tulsa. Beverly Weston, alcoholic and former poet, has mysteriously disappeared after hiring a Cheyenne Native American as a live-in housekeeper for his pill-popping, chain-smoking wife Violet. With the disappearance of the patriarch, three generations of the dysfunctional Weston family gather together in the large country home on the baking mid-western plains for the first time in years where ensues drug abuse, alcohol abuse, verbal abuse, domestic abuse, addiction, wit, cancer, mental illness, academia, literature, infidelity, incest, suicide, secrets, resentment, and estrangement.
But throughout and above the chaos, August: Osage County is a play about family. It is a play about a group of people who, despite fierce vices and deep-rooted differences, are tightly bound by blood, vows, and a long, damaged history. And now, together for the first time in years, this family must deal with each other and with the decades of baggage each brings as 13 people meet face-to-face in the pressure cooker of a single house on the broiling American Plains.
Everyone has a family, no matter what form it takes, and every family carries its own history and its own baggage. Because of this universal connection, I leave audiences to spend the next few hours with the Westons to reel, to laugh, to empathize, and to see glimpses of their own family in the Westons; because sometimes we all need a good story, a good laugh, and a good reminder that we are not the only ones who are messed up.


List of Company: Names and Roles


Maury County Resources
Hope House - Maury County's Center Against Domestic Violence. Hope house offers immediate help for women in crisis. They also have a 24/7/365 hotline. They offer temporary emergency shelter, referral information and support groups. Their primary purpose is to encourage victims to become independent and self-supporting individuals. Call 931-381-8580.

Maury County Mental Health Center           
1222 Medical Center Dr. Columbia, TN 38401
(931) 490-1500

Maury County Health Department
100 Blythwood Dr. Columbia, TN
(931) 388-5757
Family Planning (931) 388-4311
TennCare Eligibility Determination (931) 540-0055

Drug AA Abuse 24 hr. Action Hotline (931) 540-8020

Columbia Area Mental Health Center
1222 Medical Center Dr. Columbia, TN 38401
(931) 381-1396

A Listing of Family Therapists in Maury County


National Help Hotlines
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Hotline (800) 237-6237
Crisis Counseling Hotline (800) 444-9999
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (800) 729-6686
National Council for Child Abuse and Family Violence (800) 222-2000
National Institute on Drug Abuse Referral Line (800) 662-HELP
Suicide Prevention Hotline (800) 827-7571

Production History Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University



August: Osage County opened in one of its first regional productions at the Wright State University’s Festival Playhouse in Dayton, Ohio, USA on September 23, 2010 where it ran until October, 10 2010. The production was the first collaboration between the Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University.


ARTISTS

Designers and Crew

Co-Directed by: Marsha Hanna
Co-Directed by: Scott Stoney
Scenic Design: Pam Knauert Lavarnway
Costume Design: David M. Covach
Lighting Design: John Rensel
Sound Design: James Dunlap
Properties: John Lavernway and Heather Pawell
Production Stage Manager: Wendy J. Dorn

Cast

Ian Barford “Little Charles Aiken”
Jason David Collins “Charlie Aiken”
Alex Sunderhaus “Karen Weston”
Kristie Berger “Barbara Fordham”
Kelsey Hopkins “Ivy Weston”
Bill Simmons “Bill Fordham”
Madeline Casto “Mattie Fay Aiken”
Brian Evans “Steve Heidebrecht”
Susanne Marley “Violet Weston”
Rainbow Dickerson “Johnna Monevata”
Chelsey Cavender “Jean Fordham”
Scott Stoney “Beverly Weston”
Daniel C. Britt “Sheriff Deon Gibeau”


PRODUCTION HISTORY RESOURCES: WEBSITES, ARTICLES, VIDEOS, AND IMAGES

Website on Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County

Human Race Theatre Webpage on Their Collaborated Production with Wright State University of August: Osage County


Articles on Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County

Press Release for Human Race Theatre Company Announcing Cast for August: Osage County
No Date

Press Release for Human Race Theatre Company Announcing Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Historic Collaboration to Produce August: Osage County
No Date

Playbill.com Announcement of Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County
January 13, 2010

Dayton. BroadwayWorld.com Write-Up on Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County
September 9, 2010

Cleveland. BroadwayWorld.com Write-Up on Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County
September 12, 2010

Dates for Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County
September 13, 2010

Dayton Daily News Write-Up on Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County
October 7, 2010


Images of Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County

Production Photo Gallery of Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County

Production Image of Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s August: Osage County

Rehearsal Image of Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s August: Osage County

Rehearsal Image of Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s August: Osage County


Videos of Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County

Video of Talk-Back and Clips of Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County

Promotional Video for Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County

Promotional Video for Human Race Theatre Company and Wright State University’s Collaborated Production of August: Osage County

Production History Broadway


Only a few months after premiering at the Steppenwolf theatre in Chicago, Illinois, USA, August: Osage County transferred to Broadway with 11 of its original 13 cast members. The show previewed on Broadway on October 30, 2007, running for 18 previews. The show officially opened on Broadway’s Imperial Theatre on December 4, 2007 where it ran until April 20, 2009. The show then transferred to the Music Box Theatre on April 29, 2008 where it ran until June 28, 2009. August: Osage County ran for a total of 648 performances on Broadway.


ARTISTS

Playwright, Designers, and Crew

Playwright: *Tracy Letts
Directed by: *Anna D. Shapiro
Scenic Design: Todd Rosenthal
Costume Design: Ana Kuzmanic
Lighting Design: Ann Wrightson
Original Music: David Singer
Sound Design: Richard Woodbury
Stage Manager: Deb Styer
Assistant Stage Manager: Michelle Medvin
Dramaturg: Edward Sobel
Fight Choreography Chuck Coyl
Casting Erica Daniels
Dialect Coach Cecilie O’Reilly
Additional Casting: Stuart Howard, Amy Schecter, and Paul Hardt

Producers
Jeffery Richards
Jean Doumanian
Steve Taxler
Jerry Frankel
Ostar Productions
Jennifer Manocherian
The Weinstein Company
Debra Black
Daryl Roth
Ronald Fankel
Marc Frankel
Barbara Freitag and Phil Mickelson
Rick Steiner
Staton Bell Group

Original Broadway Cast

*Ian Barford “Little Charles Aiken”
*Francis Guinan “Charlie Aiken”
* Mariann Mayberry “Karen Weston”
* Amy Morton “Barbara Fordham”
* Sally Murphy “Ivy Weston”
*Jeff Perry “Bill Fordham”
* Rondi Reed “Mattie Fay Aiken”
**Brian Kerwin “Steve Heidebrecht”
Deanna Dunagan “Violet Weston”
Kimberly Guerrero “Johnna Monevata”
**Madeline Martin “Jean Fordham”
Dennis Letts “Beverly Weston”
Troy West “Sheriff Deon Gibeau”

(*) Steppenwolf Ensemble Member
(**) Not in the Original Chicago Cast


PRODUCTION HISTORY RESOURCES: Websites, Articles, Videos, AND Images

Website for August: Osage County on Broadway

Internet Broadway Database Profile on August: Osage County

Profile and Overview of August: Osage County on Broadway


Articles for August: Osage County on Broadway

Variety Review of August: Osage County on Broadway
December 4, 2007

NYT Analysis of August: Osage County on Broadway
December 5, 2007

NYT Review of August: Osage County on Broadway
December 5, 2007

NYT on the Ensemble of August: Osage County on Broadway
December 30, 2007

NYT Reading Room Review of August: Osage County on Broadway
February 18, 2008

NYT Reading Room Comments of August: Osage County on Broadway
March 4, 2008

NYT on the Popularity of August: Osage County on Broadway
June 1, 2008

ChicagoReader.com Announce August: Osage County Broadway Production Closing in June 2009
June 19, 2008

Overview and Review of August: Osage County on Broadway from a Personal Friend of Tracy Letts
July 13, 2008

NYT Announce First Cast Change of August: Osage County on Broadway
July 16, 2008

NYT Analysis of “Violet” in August: Osage County on Broadway
July 16, 2008

NYT Letter to the Editor on August: Osage County on Broadway (Negative Review)
July 27, 2008

CurtainUp Review of August: Osage County on Broadway
2008

NYT Question How Many More Months Left on Broadway for August: Osage County
February 4, 2009

NYT Interview with Amy Morton “Barbra”
May 29, 2009

NYT Community Reviews of August: Osage County on Broadway


Tony Nomination Video Clips

Video Montage of Best New Play August: Osage County

Video Montage of Best Leading Actress Winner Deanna Dunagan “Violet” in August: Osage County

Video Montage of Best Leading Actress Nominee Amy Morton “Barbara” in August: Osage County

Video Montage of Best Featured Actress Winner Ronnie Reed “Mattie Fay” in August: Osage County


Videos for August: Osage County on Broadway

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway

Video of the Prologue of August: Osage County

Video of a Meet and Greet with the Company of August: Osage County

Video Advertisement for August: Osage County on Broadway

Two on the Aisle Video Review of August: Osage County on Broadway

PlayhouseSquare Video Analysis and Clips of August: Osage County on Broadway

Broadway.com Spotlight Video on August: Osage County on Broadway

Video of Second Broadway Cast of August: Osage County Curtain Call at 1:43


Family Tree Videos for August: Osage County on Broadway

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Video Family Tree: Barbara

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Beverly

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Jean

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Violet

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Little Charles

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Bill

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Johnna

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Mattie Fae

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Steve

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Charlie

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Karen

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Sheriff

Promotional Video for August: Osage County on Broadway
Family Tree: Ivy


Images of August: Osage County on Broadway

Image of the Exterior of the Imperial Theatre Playing August: Osage County

Production Image of Rondi Reed “Mattie Fay” and Amy Morton “Barbara” in August: Osage County on Broadway

Production Image of the August: Osage County Cast during the Dinner Table Scene

Production Image of a Scene from August: Osage County on Broadway

NYT Picture Slide Show of August: Osage County on Broadway

Image of the August: Osage County Original Broadway Cast

Production Image of August: Osage County on Broadway

Image of Karen, Steve, and Jean in August: Osage County on Broadway

Image of the Broadway Ensemble of August: Osage County Taking a Bow

Production History Steppenwolf Theatre


Steppenwolf Production Poster for August: Osage County

August: Osage County premiered as an original production at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, USA on June 28, 2007. It was written by Steppenwolf Ensemble Member Tracy Letts.


ARTISTS

Playwright, Designers, and Crew

Playwright: *Tracy Letts
Directed by: *Anna D. Shapiro
Scenic Design: Todd Rosenthal
Costume Design: Ana Kuzmanic
Lighting Design: Ann Wrightson
Original Music: David Singer
Sound Design: Richard Woodbury
Stage Manager: Deb Styer
Assistant Stage Manager: Michelle Medvin
Dramaturg: Edward Sobel
Fight Choreography: Chuck Coyl
Casting: Erica Daniels
Dialect Coach: Cecilie O’Reilly

Original Cast

*Ian Barford “Little Charles Aiken”
*Francis Guinan “Charlie Aiken”
* Mariann Mayberry “Karen Weston”
* Amy Morton “Barbara Fordham”
* Sally Murphy “Ivy Weston”
*Jeff Perry “Bill Fordham”
* Rondi Reed “Mattie Fay Aiken”
* Rick Snyder “Steve Heidebrecht”
Deanna Dunagan “Violet Weston”
Kimberly Guerrero “Johnna Monevata”
Fawn Johnstin “Jean Fordham”
Dennis Letts “Beverly Weston”
Troy West “Sheriff Deon Gibeau”

(*) Steppenwolf Ensemble Member


PRODUCTION HISTORY RESOURCES: WEBSITES, ARTICLES, VIDEOS, AND IMAGES

Steppenwolf Websites

Steppenwolf Theatre Official Website

Steppenwolf Theatre Facebook page


Steppenwolf Resources on August: Osage County

Overview of the Production
Profiles of the Artists
Picture Gallery and Video Gallery
Blogs from the Artists
Archived Articles

A Letter from the Artistic Director on August: Osage County

Audio Interview with Director Anna D. Shapiro on Directing August: Osage County

Playwright Tracy Letts on Writing August: Osage County

Image of Steppenwolf’s Production Poster


Articles on August: Osage County at the Steppenwolf Theatre

Father and Son, Tracy Letts Playwright and Dennis Letts “Beverly,” discuss August: Osage County with NPR Listen to the Audio and Read the Transcript

NY Times Review of Steppenwolf’s Production August: Osage County
August 13, 2007

NYT Article on the Steppenwolf Ensemble of August: Osage County
December 15, 2007


Videos of August: Osage County at the Steppenwolf Theatre

Assistant Stage Manager Michelle Medvin Backstage during a Tech Rehearsal for August: Osage County at Steppenwolf Theatre

Steppenwolf Ensemble Member Jeff Perry “Bill” Discusses the Performance Process of August: Osage County

Assistant Stage Manager Michelle Medvin Gives a Tour of the Production Booth at the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre before August: Osage County

Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble Members Jeff Perry, Francis Guinan, Amy Morton and Mariann Mayberry on Moving August: Osage County to Broadway

Steppenwolf Ensemble Member Jeff Perry “Bill” on the Rehearsal Process for August: Osage County

Cast Members of August: Osage County during Previews at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago

CBS Clips of August: Osage County and Its Move to New York

Video of a Performance of the Prologue of August: Osage County


Production Images

Gallery of Production Images of the Steppenwolf Production on the August: Osage County at the National Theatre London Facebook Page

Image of Steppenwolf’s Production Poster

Production Image of August: Osage County at the Steppenwolf

Image of Roni Reed “Mattie Fae” and Amy Morton “Barbara” in August: Osage County

Production Image of August: Osage County Ensemble at Dinner Table

Image of the Set of August: Osage County

Image of Building the Set of August: Osage County at the Steppenwolf

Production Image of “Violet” at the Dinner Table in August: Osage County

Production Image of August: Osage County

Production Image of the Fordham Family in August: Osage County

Production Image of Roni Reed “Mattie Fae”, “Barbara”, and “Violet” in August: Osage County

Further Reading


Nostalgia, Irony, and the Re-Emergence of the Reified American Indian Other in August: Osage County
Read the Full Chapter Online from Google Books.
Mohler, Cortney Elkin. (2011) Nostalgia, Irony, and the Re-Emergence of the Reified American Indian Other in August: Osage County. In: K. Gounaridou, ed. The Comparative Drama Conference Series, 7: Text and Presentaion 2010. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., pp. 130-142.


Thorson, Gregory Stuart. (2008) The New Grotesque: The Theatre of Martin McDonagh and Tracy Letts. Boulder: University of Colorado at Boulder.

Act III In-Text Resources

SPADES CARD GAME PG. 99
Explanation on How to Play Spades (Card Game)


MEDICAL MALPRACTICE PG. 100
Summary of Oklahoma Medical Malpractice Law
           
OklahomaMedicalMalpractice.com

Overview of Oklahoma Medical Malpractice Law


AMA PG. 100
American Medical Association Official Website Homepage


BETTE DAVIS PG. 100
IMDB of Bette Davis

Bette Davis Profile


IRON AGE PG. 100
Iron Age Overview

Iron Age Overview

Growth and Development of the Iron Age


ALZHEIMER’S PG. 125
Alzheimers.org


NOWATA PG. 125
Profile of Nowata, Oklahoma

Image of the Location of Nowata, Oklahoma on a map of the USA

Image of the Location of Nowata on a map of Oklahoma


NYMPHOMANIAC PG. 126
Dictionary.com Definition of Nymphomaniac


JEAN SEBERG PG. 126
IMDB of Jean Seberg

Jean Seberg Profile

Images of Jean Seberg


CARSON MCCULLERS PG. 130
http://www.carson-mccullers.com/           
Carson McCullers Overview

Biography and Recommended Reading for Carson McCullers

Biography of Carson McCullers