A declining parental figure, the aftermath of a shooting, and the power of the sibling bond intertwine in Canberra Repertory’s newest production, Crimes of the Heart. The classic Beth Henley play takes the stage at Canberra Rep Theatre from 28 April to 13 May.
Having created lives that are worlds apart from each other, the three McGrath sisters reunite in their hometown of Hazelhurst, Mississippi when the youngest, Babe shoots her husband. Eldest sister Lenny never left; she stayed and took look after their grandfather who raised them, and he is now in hospital with a mortal illness. Wild child Meg left to pursue dreams of fame, which eluded her, instead turning to drink to find moments of fleeting happiness.
Together, they try to find a solution to Babe’s problem and perhaps, on the way, try to help one another with their own lives, too.
“The family dysfunction that they grew up with starts to unravel. Really coming through together in crisis, they start to be able to unpick the trauma and see a way forward,” says director, Karen Vickery.
Vickery was introduced to the script when she took on the role of Meg in an independent production in the early 1980s. Now older and wiser, Vickery has a deeper understanding of Meg and the other characters, and was keen to revisit the production in the director position and set the tone for the play.
While it addresses dark themes, it is a story that focuses on connections and offers many moments of laughter and joy. The director says the characters are ones the audience will be able to relate to, aided by the pandemic bringing the importance of family to the forefront of our minds.
“I think that sort of sense of being cheek by jowl with your family and to actually address issues,” says Vickery, “the collision of the characters and the different ways that they deal with crises is fascinating.”
Joining the sisters on the stage is the young, intense and serious lawyer who has been appointed to help Babe. The one that got away for Meg, her ex-boyfriend and cousin Chick, the southern belle who thinks all of this is incredibly embarrassing and a bad look for the family. Vickery says at its core, the play says blood is thicker than water.
“Even though family can cause enormous tension, in the end, they are there for each other,” says Vickery.
Bringing an authentic touch to the stage is set designer Michael Sparks, hailing from America’s South, not too far from Hazelhurst itself. Remembering details from his childhood and drawing on photos of his own family, Sparks has created a world true to the one the McGrath sisters would have experienced.
See Crimes of the Heart at Canberra Rep Theatre, Acton, 28 April-13 May; canberrarep.org.au
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