Evansville Civic Theatre Presents Crimes of the Heart Opening This Weekend (Interview)

The Evansville Civic Theatre steps away from a traditional Christmas play with it's December show, Crimes of the Heart.

Crimes of the Heart is an amazing dark comedy that was the qinner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The official synopsis of the show is as follows:

The scene is Hazlehurst, Mississippi, where the three Magrath sisters have gathered to await news of the family patriarch, their grandfather, who is living out his last hours in the local hospital. Lenny, the oldest sister, is unmarried at thirty and facing diminishing marital prospects; Meg, the middle sister, who quickly outgrew Hazlehurst, is back after a failed singing career on the West Coast; while Babe, the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her husband in the stomach. Their troubles, grave and yet, somehow, hilarious, are highlighted by their priggish cousin, Chick, and by the awkward young lawyer who tries to keep Babe out of jail while helpless not to fall in love with her. In the end the play is the story of how its young characters escape the past to seize the future—but the telling is so true and touching and consistently hilarious that it will linger in the mind long after the curtain has descended.

While it might seem strange that the Civic Theatre would step away from doing a traditional Christmas play (previous years they've produced A Christmas Carol and Miracle on 34th Street), Crimes definitely has themes of family and togetherness, albeit, in a very dark comedy way.

The show is taking place this weekend and next. Dates for the show are
December 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 18. Friday and Saturdays performances are at 7:30 PM, with Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. You can call the box office at (812) 425-2800 or go online to get your tickets now. You can also get more info about the show here.

Also, I had the absolute pleasure to interview show director Kevin Roach and cast member Chynna Hall earlier this week. You can hear that interview below!