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AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY – Opens Tonight At The Curran Theatre

Tony Award winner for Best Play of 2008 features Estelle Parsons

By Seán Martinfield
Sentinel Editor and Publisher
Photo by Lynn Imanaka

August: Osage County, written by 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts (Killer Joe and Bug), is a grand, gripping new play revealing the story of the Westons, a large extended clan that comes together at their rural Oklahoma homestead when the alcoholic patriarch disappears. Forced to confront unspoken truths and astonishing secrets, the family must also contend with the matriarch – a pill-popping, deeply unsettled woman at the center of this storm. Academy Award winner Estelle Parsons stars in the role of the family matriarch, “Violet”.

ESTELLE PARSONS — “Violet Weston” (the Matriarch). Photo, Joan Marcus

Directed by Anna D. Shapiro, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is a rare theatrical event - a large-scale work filled with unforgettable characters, and a powerful tale told with unflinching honesty. It is an unforgettable breakthrough by the American playwright, Tracy Letts.

The Family of August: Osage County
Photo, Robert J. Saferstein

JON DeVRIES — Beverly Weston (Patriarch)
ESTELLE PARSONS — Violet Weston (Matriarch)
MATTIE FAE AIKEN — Libby George (Aunt)
PAUL VINCENT O’CONNOR – Charlie Aiken (Uncle)
JEFF STILL — Bill Fordham (Barbara’s Husband)
SHANNON COCHRAN — Barbara Fordham (Eldest Daughter)
ANGELICA TORN — Ivy Weston (Middle Daughter)
AMY WARREN — Karen Weston (Youngest Daughter)
LAURENCE LAU — Steve Heidebrecht (Karen’s Fiance)
STEPHEN RILEY KEY — Little Charles Aiken (Cousin)
EMILY KINNEY — Jean Fordham (Granddaughter)
DeLANNA STUDI — Johnna Monevata (Housekeeper)
MARCUS NELSON — Deon Gilbeau (Sheriff)

Click here for more information: August: Osage County

August: Osage County. Set Design by Todd Rosenthal
Photo, Robert J. Saferstein

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21st @ 6:15 pm

THE EGYPTIAN (1954) — Starring Edmund Purdom as “Sinuhe”
A Swords & Sandals Cultural Encounter at the de Young Museum

Seán Martinfield will introduce the 1954 CinemaScope classic, The Egyptian, starring Edmund Purdom, Gene Tierney, Victor Mature, Jean Simmons, and Bella Darvi as a “Woman of Babylon”. The 20th Century Fox epic is a tale of Pharaoh Ahkenaton, father of Tutankhamun. This special event is one of many during the current exhibit: TUTANKHAMUN: And the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.
Click here for more information: THE EGYPTIAN, August 21st, 6:15 pm

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Seán Martinfield
Sentinel Editor and Publisher
Seán Martinfield, who also serves as Fine Arts Critic, is a native San Franciscan. He is a Theatre Arts Graduate from San Francisco State University, a professional singer, and well-known private vocal coach to Bay Area actors and singers of all ages and persuasions. His clients have appeared in Broadway National Tours including Wicked, Aïda, Miss Saigon, Rent, Bye Bye Birdie, in theatres and cabarets throughout the Bay Area, and are regularly featured in major City events including Diva Fest, Gay Pride, and Halloween In The Castro. As an Internet consultant in vocal development and audition preparation he has published thousands of responses to those seeking his advice concerning singing techniques, professional and academic auditions, and careers in the Performing Arts. Mr. Martinfield’s Broadway clients have all profited from his vocal methodology, “The Belter’s Method”, which is being prepared for publication. If you want answers about your vocal technique, post him a question on AllExperts.com. If you would like to build up your vocal performance chops and participate in the Bay Area’s rich theatrical scene, e-mail him at: sean.martinfield@comcast.net.