Crimes of the Heart folk heroines

Spousal abuse, birthday wishes and unsung songs all reflect the poignant passions of three Mississippi sisters who form the core of Cinnabar Theater’s production of ‘Crimes of the Heart’ in Petaluma (Northern California).

The Magrath sisters – Meg (Dana Scott), Lenny (Sarah McKereghan) and Babe (Ivy Rose Miller) are folk heroines because they traverse the edges of shared family bonds, including their mother’s suicide and, holding firmly onto one another for support and for courage, leap into an uncharted future that they believe will bring them better days.

Reunited around the table of Old Granddaddy’s kitchen table in Hazelhurst, Mississippi after Babe shoots her husband, the three young women share elements of their pasts they have kept hidden. Meg never did make it in Hollywood, Lenny gave up on her one chance for romance and Babe fell in love with the wrong person at the wrong time.

As typical siblings, they tease, taunt, and love each other in a way that has the audience laughing one minute and anxious the next. Their confessions are hilarious and heartbreaking. Can they be trusted to keep each others' secrets? Will they ever forgive themselves and each other for their choices?

These folk heroines face challenges familiar to us all. Who hasn't made mistakes that alter forever the course of life? Who hasn't felt all alone in the world? And they remind us that sometimes - in the midst of it all - there is hope and that, coupled with the love of those who accept us flaws and all, is exactly what we need to move forward. As these sisters plunge into their futures, so do we, knowing that at any moment any of us may find the love and happiness we seek.

It’s easy to see why “Crime of the Heart” written by Beth Henley in 1978 is an award-winning play. Credits include:

• 1981 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play
• 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
• 1982 Theatre World Award

Directed by Sheri Lee Miller, the play runs through November 6. To find out more about this production and the rest of Cinnabar Theater's 39th season offerings, visit www.cinnabartheater.org.