Affairs of the Heart

AFFAIRS OF THE HEART

How bad does life have to get before you hang yourself and your cat? Shoot your husband?
Run away from your hometown to California to work in a dog food factory?

Sound like tragedy? Or just a “really bad day?” In the hands of Mississippi born playwright,
Beth Henley, the material is always both comic and tragic, zany and sad – and ultimately richly
wise.

Henley was born in Jackson, Mississippi and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from
Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Her first professionally produced play was CRIMES OF THE HEART, which won the prestigious
Great American Play Contest of the Actors’ Theater of Louisville before going on to Broadway
in 1981, winning the Pulitzer Prize, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for the Best Play of
the 1981 season, a Guggenheim Award, and a Tony nomination. In the playwright’s words, it
ensured that she would “never have to work in a dog-food factory again.”

CRIMES OF THE HEART is about the three McGrath sisters who grew up in the small town
of Hazlehurst, Mississippi and have gathered again at the beginning of the play to confront
family crises – the impending death of the grandfather who raised them and the arrest of the
youngest sister, Babe, for shooting her Senator husband in the stomach because she “didn’t
like his looks.” On this day, as well, Lennie, the oldest sister and “old maid” caregiver of their
grandfather turns thirty-five – an age that marks a sad landmark in her lonely life.

At first glance these unfortunate events seem the stuff of serious drama, but not so as realized
by Henley’s quirky vision. We laugh far more than we cry as we are drawn into their sometimes
awkward efforts to solve, or at least deal with, their family dilemmas.

Henley also wrote the screenplay for the 1986 film of CRIMES OF THE HEART, which starred
Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, and Sissy Spacek, and featured Sam Shepard.

In the Tar River Players’ production, the cast includes familiar and new onstage faces. While
local theatre goers will remember Dawn Whitehurst, Tiffany Clark, Kate Brittain and Inie
Ribustello from previous Player shows, two actors and one actress are making their Tarboro
debuts -- Damariscotta Helm, John Brooks Langston, and Dillon Rogers. Together they create
an ensemble that is not to be missed.

Do yourself a Spring favor and go see this show!