Montana Actors' Theatre performs 'August: Osage County'

Montana Actors' Theatre is about to open a spring production with a show described as a tragicomedy about a family who puts the "fun" in dysfunctional.

MAT's production of "August: Osage County" opens Friday in the Little Theatre in Montana State University-Northern's Cowan Hall.

MAT Artistic Director Grant Olson, the director of the production, said the story is deep and intense. It contains a mysterious disappearance, three sisters full of secrets, and some dark comedy.

The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2008. It was developed at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

"It has many moments that are very funny and others that will certainly strike home," MAT Executive Director Jay Pyette said.

The story takes place in the Oklahoma home of Beverly and Violet Weston over several weeks in August.

MAT's poster for the production warns that the show contains themes that may not be suitable for all audiences including suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and mental health issues.

Olson said most of the actors will be familiar to MAT play-goers.

"Only a few new actors are getting to work with some really veteran actors," he said. "... It's really a well-seasoned cast."

Matt Springer wrote and produced an original soundtrack for this production.

Brian Jenkins, who last acted on MAT's stage 21 years ago, plays the sheriff.

"This cast is dynamite," he said. "... You are going to laugh and probably cry all at the same moment."

Michael Stevenson, who plays Beverly Weston, the alcoholic father, said he first began performing in the 1970s.

"There was a group called Northern Montana Repertory Theatre that did summer theatre," he said. "I was a big part of that."

Stevenson acted in the MAT production of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in Beaver Creek Park last summer and will be costuming the production of Shakespeare's "12th Night" this summer.

Stevenson said Olson has tasked the cast with a new style of acting called active analysis.

He reminisced on his time acting in the '70s, saying, "Can you teach an old actor new tricks?"

So far, the style has shown to be successful as the cast embraces the challenge, he added.

MAT House Manager and Youth Activities Assistant Tylyn Turner said she began acting intermittently over the last couple decades. Her last performance was "The Harvest" written by Jay Pyette and produced by MAT in March 2022.

In "August: Osage County" Turner's character is the eldest sister, Barbara, she said.

"This is one of the most awesome casts I have ever worked with," she added. "... It's going to be super-relatable to every family."

Pyette said the production is MAT's final mainstage production of this season. The production is estimated to last around 3 hours, so the show start time has been changed to 7 p.m., with the doors and Backstage Lounge open a half hour earlier.

The doors open for the production this Friday and Saturday, April 28 and 29, and then again May 4-6 and 11-13.

"As with many of our other productions this year, we are hosting a Red Carpet Gala on opening night for our sponsors and producer," Pyette said. "This starts at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 28."

Tickets are available at Bear Paw Meats, Pratt & Company, the Chamber of Commerce office, The Computer Center and online at https://mtactors.com.