Review: Elokuu

DRAMA IN AUGUST – ELEMENTS OF A CLASSIC


Tracy Letts was born in 1965 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and grew up in Durant, the son of a writer mother and a professor father. After searching for a place in the world of his time, Letts became a dramatist.

Killer Jo, written in 1991, made him world famous. After the rough play performed in almost 20 countries and at least 12 languages, Letts continued not only to write but also to act in theater, television and film.

August (2007), which was recently added to the Helsinki City Theatre’s repertoire, is Letts’ latest victory, which was awarded three major awards in its home country (Drama Desk, Tony and Pulitzer). This was Letts’ second Pulitzer nomination, as it was also won by The Man from Nebraska (2003).


August is an interesting mix of new images of our time and familiar lines from the classics of American drama. The fact that the work is set in a small Oklahoma town is clear evidence from partly autobiographical sources.

At the heart of the story are the elderly Violet Weston, who is married to a university teacher and covers her bad mood by popping pills, played by Ritva Valkama with astonishing piety, as well as her younger sister and three daughters with their husbands/boyfriends. The story begins when the family’s father, a professor of literature and patriarch (Juhani Niemelä), hires a domestic servant of Indian descent to the house and goes fishing, and he is never seen after that.


The Indian girl Johnna, played by Kreeta Salminen, seems to be almost the only balanced person in the crowd. It soon becomes clear that father Weston’s fishing trip has not ended well, and it is an excuse to bring close relatives together.


Leena Uotila plays Violet’s younger sister Mattie Fae, and Heidi Herala, Riitta Havukainen and Aino Seppo play Violet’s daughters. Each of them has more or less failed in their male relationships.

Barbara, played by Havukainen, tries to keep up the façade, but it soon becomes clear that all is not well, as Barbara and Bill (Matti Olavi Rani) are about to break up after Bill has a crush on a younger woman.

Between malice, cynicism and outright evil, there is little room for hope and faith in a better tomorrow. With strong women, men really don’t have it easy.

Wonderfully acted and beautifully written, August is one of the best American family dramas in a long time and offers almost a dozen brilliant roles for top actors. Fortunately, there is also a bit of humor in it to lighten up the otherwise dark story.