"Crimes of the Heart" Coming to Niswonger Campus

The Walters State Department of Music and Theatre will present “Crimes of the Heart” in April at the Niswonger Campus. Kaitlyn Marino, left, plays Lenny and Gracie Hill plays Babe, two of three sisters who share the story of their dysfunctional family in the tragicomedy.

"Crimes of the Heart" Coming to Niswonger Campus 

The Walters State Music and Theatre Department will present “Crimes of the Heart” April 12-14 and April 19-21 at the Niswonger Campus in Greeneville. Showtimes are 8 p.m. for Friday and Saturday shows and 2 p.m. for Sunday shows. 

This tragicomedy tests the bounds of love when three very different sisters reunite to mourn their grandfather. The play was written by Beth Henley and won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for drama. The 1986 film adaptation starred Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek. 

“This play is about three sisters from a dysfunctional family in a small town in the deep South” is how Jack Truman, instructor and director of theatre at the college, sums up the plot.

“Every character in the play deals with a mental illness,” Truman said. “The three sisters have faced significant trauma in their lives and that effects their interactions. Most people will relate to the play and its characters.”        

The play is very funny, but it also covers dark subjects like mental illness, suicide and domestic abuse. To help the cast understand the serious nature of those topics, Truman reached out to CHIPS Family Violence Shelter. Representatives helped the cast understand how these issues play into relationships and experiences.

Directing this play has been a goal of Truman’s for many years. 

“I fell in love with this play when I read it back in the ’80s. This was an important story then and is even more important today,” he said. “This is really a play about people coming together. We all go through so much, sometimes we need to just talk about it so we can move forward.”

This is the college’s first theatre production held on the Niswonger Campus. The play will be in the Lyceum, which has hosted plays and concerts.

“This play is great for the Lyceum, as it takes place inside the family kitchen,” Truman said.  

Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 for senior citizens and $5 for students. Tickets will be available at the door and can be reserved in advanced by emailing Gayle Nelson at Gayle.NelsonFREEWS.