The extended Weston family is a state of nuclear meltdown by the riveting close of Act 2 in the Alliance Theatre's hit production of Tracy Letts' tragi-comedy "August: Osage County."
Dad Beverly, an alcoholic poet, has offed himself. Pill-popping, cancer-stricken mom Violet is taking out her grief on everyone by giving them a lethal dose of grief of another kind. And oldest daughter Barbara is living a separate nightmare thanks to a philandering husband and promiscuous, pot-smoking teen daughter. When Barbara (Tess Malis Kincaid) screams at the never-shrinking Violet (Brenda Bynum), "You don't get it, do you? I'm in charge here," audience members know the blood sport is only going to get uglier in Act 3.
What they probably don't know is that long-term mutual admiration -- dating to the late 1980s when Kincaid, now 47, was an Alliance acting intern and Bynum, now 70, was one of her mentors -- fuels their powder-keg onstage relationship. Perhaps even more impressive given how realistic their dysfunction seems, both say they are products of remarkably healthy mother-daughter relationships in real life.
With Mother's Day being celebrated Sunday, the day "Osage" closes, the actresses spoke about their late moms, their own motherhood and their onstage relationship.
Kincaid on being raised by mom Barbara, a pianist: "Growing up in LaGrange, I remember going often to music recitals and concerts with her and that was always a special treat. ... [Mom and dad Michael, a music minister] helped develop a love of the arts in me at an early age.
"She was a working parent who was able to continue with her love of what she did while raising five kids, but she was also very loving and very attentive. I would like to feel that I've been able to assimilate that style [in parenting 10-year-old daughter Barbara Rose, named for her grandmother]."
Bynum on being raised by mom Minnie, a telephone company employee: "I'm so proud of her. When the Southern Bell Company integrated -- and that was a big deal in Atlanta -- my mother volunteered to train the African-American women who were coming in. She stepped up and said it's the right thing to do. And she was shunned, ostracized by many of her colleagues.
"For years and years after that, when she and I would be walking up Peachtree to go Davison’s [department store downtown] or wherever, women of every color would come up to her and hug her neck and tell me how lucky I was to have her for a mama.
"She was what I think a lady ought to be."
Kincaid on being mom to Barbara Rose (with husband Mark): "She's made my life complete in so many ways. I feel like I didn't know vulnerability until I brought a child into this world. You're worried for them every single bit of the day but you also get unconditional love.
"She’s a great kid, she makes me laugh, she frustrates me. ... And sometimes when you get frustrated because you’re looking at it through an adult’s eyes, you have to stop and say, ‘Wait a minute, I know how important this was when I was 10.'"
Bynum on being mom to adult sons Brennon and Quin (with husband Cary): "They are two of the finest men imaginable. They are kind and sweet and funny and productive. We are very close, we have fun together and we hug each other and tell each other we love each other all the time.
"Here’s all I can say: If I produced them, I can’t be all be bad."
Kincaid on her onstage mom Bynum: "This was really a dream come true for me to work with her, because of the fact that she'd been my teacher years ago. Of course, walking into the rehearsal hall at first, I was terrified. But she was so amazingly open and welcoming.
"The relationship kicked right back in as friends. And we've trusted each other perfectly."
Bynum on her onstage daughter Kincaid: "Oh yeah, I knew Tess was talented when she came into the intern program and so was Carolyn Cook [another Alliancegraduate who plays middle daughter Ivy].
"We were sitting at a table one day at rehearsal and we just looked at each other and said, ‘Here we are, the three of us in this play, working together!' We couldn't imagine anything better than that.
"I feel like they're my daughters."
On stage
“August: Osage County”
Final shows: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday,2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Through May 8. $20-$50. Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-733-5000, www.alliancetheatre.org.
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