Pulitzer Prize-winning drama tackles issues of addiction
KENNESAW, Ga. - Art imitates life in the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama "August: Osage County" by playwright Tracy Letts, which tells the story of a family shattered by secrets and addiction.
Now, a cast of film and television professionals is staging the play here in Metro Atlanta — and using it as a way to shed light on the very real work being done to help those suffering from substance abuse.
"August: Osage County" opens Aug. 17 at Dunwoody’s Stage Door Theatre and is the first big show mounted by Kennesaw-based Greenlight Acting Studios.
"I opened Greenlight Acting Studios about 18 months ago — mid-pandemic — with the goal of offering actors outside the perimeter a place to do some quality training and really dig in and work on their craft," says Erin Bethea, who also stars as "Barbara Fordham" in the production.
And "digging in" is necessary in a play like August: Osage County, which took home several Tony Awards following its Broadway debut in 2007 and was later adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. Dealing with bruising family secrets and the devastating effects of addiction, cast members say they know just how real the play’s themes really are.
"I’m a recovered alcoholic myself, and as the executive producer, that was the reason August: Osage County spoke to me. Because I lived it, right? And it was very important for us to talk about recovery," says Michelle Neill, also acting in the show. "So, we actually went to Atlanta Recovery Place, spent many hours with them talking to their clinicians and their therapists, who were all recovered addicts and alcoholics, to really dig deep into not only what addiction is for the individual who’s suffering, but more importantly, the consequences for the family members."
Adds actor Alpha Trivette, "I think a lot of people will go, ‘Oh my God, boy, I recognize that. I’ve been there. I’ve had those uncomfortable dinners…and I hope they’ll take an understanding that it doesn’t always have to be that way. There is help. Like Atlanta Recovery Place."
Producers say they’ll donate a portion of the proceeds to Atlanta Recovery Place — another example, they say, of the way live theatre doesn’t just entertain, but also enriches communities.
For showtimes and ticket information, click here.