Ka’Lena Cuevas as Chick Boyle and Brooke Hackman as Lenny Magrath. (Photo provided)
Fans of the Belfry Theatre will make the trek to Lawrence to see Crimes of the Heart stage for two weekends, April 28 through May 7 at Arts for Lawrence’s Theater at the Fort, 8920 Otis Ave., Indianapolis.
Crimes of the Heart relates the story of the three Magrath sisters, Meg, Babe, and Lenny, who reunite at Old Granddaddy’s home in Hazlehurst, Miss., after Babe shoots her abusive husband. The sisters were raised in a dysfunctional family with a penchant for ugly predicaments.
This is the third Lawrence trip for the Belfry this season. Earlier they staged two shows at the Ivy Tech Auditorium in Noblesville, now three at Theater at the Fort, and they are scheduled to return to Ivy Tech for one more show to close out their season with a youth production in July.
According to Actor and Producer Ka’Lena Cuevas, being a community theater without a stage of their own any longer presents some challenges for the cast and crew.
“A load in is always a challenge because you are not in the same space and you’re not top priority at the theater, which presents some challenges,” Cuevas said. “We go by their rules, and they’ve got some rules regarding set restrictions – like we can’t nail into the floor on the stage. We have the set built, but we were only able to load in 10 days before opening. Things like that are challenging, but we’ve got a great partnership with them. We’re just grateful to have a space.”
Mickey Masterson as Barnette Lloyd. (Photo provided)
Since the Theater at the Fort handles all tickets sales for productions at their facility, Cuevas did not have analytic data to know if the audiences have been drawing more from the Lawrence area or if they are still largely composed of Hamilton County fans willing to make the drive.
When asked why she wanted to be a part of this particular show, Cuevas said it is all about the director.
“Jen Otterman is the Director,” Cuevas said. “I have produced and been fortunate enough to be cast in many of her shows. In my opinion she’s the best in the business. She’s really professional. She has over 50 years of experience directing, and you just learn so much as an actor when you are working with her. So, if Jen’s doing a show I want to be part of it in some capacity.”
Tanner Brunson as Doc Porter. (Photo provided)
Cuevas said she was also drawn in by the title and the script, and she enjoys working with a smaller cast. In this case, there are only six actors.
“It’s a small cast and I love small casts,” Cuevas said. “You build that comradery faster with a small cast. There is no room for a weak link. Everyone has to match each other’s energy and talent. There’s nowhere to hide if you’re not pulling your weight.”
While the show is set in 1974, Cuevas wants audiences to know this dramedy is not a period piece, but rather a story about family.
“Don’t let the fact that the how is 40-plus years old deter your from coming,” Cuevas said. “This is a drama with a lot of humor in it. It’s really about relationships. It’s about families. It’s such a good script and it will appeal to anyone who’s been a part of a family.”
