August: Osage County is a play by Tracy Letts that was the recipient of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Barbara discovers her mother Violet knew her father was going to commit suicide.
Cindy Newell is a retired neuromuscular therapist, an organic farmer and outdoor enthusiast. She supports a number of environmental and wildlife causes, including a small, private reserve in Costa Rica.
From Cindy: “In the final scene of August: Osage County, matriarch Violet, a caustic, venomous woman suffering from mouth cancer and addiction to pills, is confronted by her oldest daughter, Barbara, about her father’s long-ago affair and recent suicide. By the end of the conversation, Barbara, like the rest of the family before her, gives up on Violet and leaves her completely alone. Portraying Violet required me to dive deeply into my own emotional reservoir in order to convey her mercurial emotional journey in that scene. Wren’s skilled and sensitive coaching guided me safely through these turbulent waters”
Claire Taylor is a community-oriented New Hampshire writer and singer studying voice acting with Wren Ross.