August: Osage County, an award-winning play produced by the classic rock band Steppenwolf (Born to Be Wild), performed its opening show last night at the new Winspear Dallas Opera House to an audience of over 600.

The new play  tells 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 Violet (played by Academy Award-winner Estelle Parsons).

A friend from CoHabit provided us with tickets through a personal connection. Jennifer Conley of ILiveinDallas.com, Bev Garvin of Dallas Interactive firm, and myself attended.  Being a thespian of many years in one-act plays in high school and having seen 100s of award-winning plays at UIL competitions, I would have to say this was one of the best plays I’ve ever seen. The acting was superb leveling Hollywood’s greats. I can see why many actors decide he/she would rather be on Broadway and work in traveling shows verses the lime light and fluffiness of TV and movies. For more information on the play and to get tickets go to DallasPerformingArts.org.

About August: Osage County
Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is written by Tracy Letts and directed by Anna D. Shapiro. The New York Times cheers, “AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is flat-out, without qualification, the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years,” and Time Magazine named AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY the “#1 Show of the Year!”