Those of you

who have a sister will truly appreciate House Red's production of "Crimes

of the Heart."

The play, written

days' in Hazelhurst, Mississippi. This current production succeeds because

of a sisterly dynamic between the actresses portraying the Magrath sisters.

Nylssa Dunbar plays Lenny, the eldest sister, with a touch of sadness,

while Patrice Azzarito plays Meg, the middle sister who has always been

the wild one, with an energy that seems to be running out as she has been

running from herself for years.

Michelle Fail

plays Babe, the central figure of the story with the perfect mix of wackiness

and sentimentality. Babe is the youngest and has been protected for years

into herself.

The other performances

are equally strong Vickie Lorton's Cousin Chick is the lady we always

seem to find ourselves behind at Kroger and want to smack upside the head,

Scott Gerard gives a touching and understated performance as Doc Porter

and Brad Boseman nearly steals every scene he is in as Babe's attorney,

Barnett Lloyd. When he is on stage, everything is working for him.

The play is

set in the kitchen of the Magrath's house in Hazelhurst and the seating

at Baci is intimate. The audience feels as if they are in the living room,

eavesdropping on the sisters as they catch up with each other and learn

to leave their pasts in the past.

The play is

intended for adult audiences but does not contain material that is entirely

unsuitable for younger audiences. It is performed in three acts, but the

pacing of Henley's dialogue keeps the audience interested and laughing.

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