Description

Winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play! "It has heart, wit and a surprisingly zany passion that must carry all before it...it would certainly be a crime for anyone interested in the theatre not to see this play." - NY Post. "From time to time a play comes along that restores one's faith in our theatre..." - NY Magazine.

Credits

June Cleveland
Babe Magrath
Barnette Lloyd
Chick Boyle
Doc Porter
Lenny Magrath
Meg Magrath
Costume Design
Director & Sound Design
Lighting & Scenic Design
Producer
Stage Manager
Cake Artist
House Manager Coordinator
Light & Sound Operator
Set Construction
Set Construction
Set Construction

Reviews

E-mail from a long-time patron and season ticket holder
- , E-mail from a long-time patron and season ticket holder

I loved the play. Great casting, directing, acting, lighting. We saw the movie (Hallmark?) years ago, and I thought it was sticky-sweet. This rendition projected a feeling of reality- despair, jealousy, hypocrisy, happiness, bewilderment, love, and more. So well done! Thanks for bringing the play to life.

'Crimes of the Heart' - a window into really good theatre

- Mike Cook, Las Cruces Bulletin

One of the first things you notice about Peter Herman's light and scenic design of "Crimes of the Heart" is the window that is projected onto the stage.
That fits so well with this production at Black Box Theatre, because, as its director, Nikka Zimmer, points out in her playbill notes, the play is a window into the lives and the struggles about the McGrath sisters who are its central characters.
There is abandonment, abuse and even suicide in the past that window opens onto. Each sister, Meg Mc-Grath (Erin Wendorf), Lenny Magrath (Debbie Jo Felix) and Babe McGrath (Casandra Galban) deals with it through her own suffering and regret.
But this isn't really a sad play. It's about holding hands and singing "Happy Birthday" and struggling through the really hard times together with humor and saxophone music.
Nikka clearly saw the strength of these characters that threads its way through the entire play. She took an award-winning script by Beth Henley, cast it well and let the story tell itself without the distraction of set or costume changes or any theatrical effects.
Nikka is an accomplished actress as well as a seasoned director.
If the McGrath sisters' mother had been a character in this show, Nikka would have played her brilliantly.
Her actors, Wendorf, Felix and Galban, are interesting as individuals and fascinating as a family.
I have enjoyed the work Erin and Debbie Jo have done in other shows at Black Box Theatre and Las Cruces Community Theatre, but this production is the first time I've seen Galban in a major role. She was magnificent. Bravos all around.
The supporting cast of Gina DeMondo, Eric Hadley and Wake Gardner (in his first production at Black Box) is also really good. They did their jobs, adding color and substance to the story and the main characters, but also making their characters interesting and entertaining.
Go see this play. I enjoyed it very much and I'm
sure you will too - and you may even get some birthday cake!
Black Box Theatre is located at 430 N. Main St.
Remaining performances of "Crimes of the Heart" are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Dec. 1-2 and 8-9; 2:30 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 3 and 10; and 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7.
Tickets are $15 regular admission, $12 for students and seniors over age 65 and $10 for the Dec. 7 performance. For more information, call Black Box Theatre at 575-523-1223. Visit nostrings. org.
Mike Cook may be reached at mike@lascrucesbulletin. com.

Seating

No seating plan has been posted.