Dear Patrons;
I want to share with you why I love Tracy Letts, the playwright of The Minutes. You may not be familiar with him and his work but read along and you will begin to recognize him.
Tracy Letts is a remarkable and incomparable force in contemporary American theater. He is celebrated for his fearless exploration of complex characters and turbulent stories. He is a playwright, actor, and screenwriter. His work consistently challenges audiences by tackling themes such as family dysfunction, political corruption, and societal decay.
Born in 1965, Letts grew up in a literary household—his mother, Billie Letts, was a successful novelist, and his father, Dennis Letts, was a college professor and actor. His upbringing helped shape his artistic sensibility, but it was the Chicago theater scene where Letts truly cut his teeth, as a member of the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company, which remains one of his creative homes to this day.
Letts’, the playwright, most widely recognized work is ‘August: Osage County’, a sprawling family drama that won him both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 2008. It struck a chord with audiences around the world for its brutally honest portrayal of family strife, while also finding dark humor in the dysfunction. The play’s success cemented Letts’ reputation as a playwright. While ‘August: Osage County’ brought Letts widespread acclaim, he has long been known for his earlier works that pushed boundaries. *Bug* (1996) and *Killer Joe* (1993) are violent, unsettling, and dive deep into the darker side of human behavior. Both plays later became films, with Letts adapting the scripts himself, reinforcing his position as a versatile writer with a distinctive voice.
More recently, Letts’ play The Minutes (2017), set in a small-town city council meeting, mixes political satire with ominous undertones. It masterfully reveals how the banality of everyday governance can mask disturbing truths about history, power, and morality. The play is a sharp commentary on democracy, corruption, and the often-hidden darkness within seemingly mundane spaces.
In addition to his success as a playwright, Letts has had a prolific career as an actor. He won a Tony Award for his portrayal of George in Edward Albee’s ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ in 2013, showcasing his ability to tackle iconic roles onstage.
On screen, Letts has become a recognizable face in both television and film. He delivered memorable performances in ‘Lady Bird’ (2017), where he played a warm yet struggling father, and in ‘The Post’ (2017) as the editor of The Washington Post. His work as an actor underscores his understanding of character from multiple perspectives—as both creator and performer.
Whether on stage or screen, as a writer or an actor, Tracy Letts continues to be an artist who defies easy categorization. He is a vital voice in modern theater, one whose bold storytelling challenges audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and the world around them. Just the kind of work that Theatre Aezir loves to tackle.
You don’t want to miss this amazing play.
“… one of the most thrilling new plays on Broadway”, Greg Evans, Deadline, and “… you have never seen anything like it.”, Rex Reed, The Observer.
It’s just another council meeting in the small town of Big Cherry. The bumbling, dishonest, substance abused, and ridiculous council persons enter one by one. All is well, that is until the newcomer, Mr. Peel starts asking uncomfortable questions. Having missed the last meeting to attend his mother’s funeral he feels out of the loop and quickly becomes aware that things have changed — and no one wants to talk about it. Emotions get heated, tension mounts, until someone is brave enough to tell the painful truth.
This scathing new comedy about small-town politics and real-world power, from the author of August: Osage County, exposes the ugliness behind some of our most closely held North American narratives while asking each of us what we would do to keep from becoming history’s losers. Watch the Big Cherry City Council members as they debate, quibble, argue, and cajole to the ultimate end.
Join us for 10 performances:
First Baptist Church, 568 Richmond Street, London
November 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16 at 7:30pm, 2024
November 9 and 16 at 3:00pm, 2024
November 10 and 17 at 4:00pm, 2024
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“The Minutes” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
