The show: “The Minutes,” by Tracy Letts, at Terrific New Theatre through June 29. Letts, who wrote “August: Osage County,” this time brings his deft touch to a small-town city council meeting, which eventually exposes rifts among the council members and reveals a dark secret about the town’s founding.
The cast and crew: Starring David Strickland, Kyle Holman, Flannery Whaley, Kendall Johnson, Chuck Evans, Paul Boyer, Jordan DeWitt, Debbie Smith, Nancy Malone, Jesse Bates, Matt Whaley. Directed by Michael Flowers. Scenic design by Ashley Woods. Costume design by Patti Manning. Lighting design by Scott Littleton. Sound design by Jay Tumminello.
The highlights: Part comedy, part drama, part political satire, part mystery, Letts’ play is a winner, and director Michael Flowers has assembled a fantastic cast across the board. All are superb, with Holman, Strickland, Johnson, Flannery Whaley, Bates, Matt Whaley, Evans, Boyer, DeWitt, Smith and Malone all making the most of what Letts gives them. Everyone in the cast has some wonderful moments. Ashley Woods’ scenic design adds quite a bit to the proceedings, which range from laugh-out-loud funny to gasp-worthy horrifying. Flowers and his cast manage Letts’ wide range of tone quite well.
Bottom line: A fine production of a fine play to close out Terrific New Theatre’s season in its new permanent space.
If you go: The show is 95 minutes, performed without intermission.
