top of page

 

 

THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE

By Martin McDonagh

LIGHTREE STUDIOS, HART THEATER COMPANY 

November 2023​

​

 

Directed by Morag Shepherd

Stage Managed by Liz Black 

Set Design by Chase Ramsey

Lighting Design by Kyle Esposito

Photos by Brighton Sloan

Sound Design by Morag Shepherd

Dialect Coach - Paul McGrew

Costume Design - Emily Wells

Performed by Jordan Briggs, Anne Brings, Tyson Baker, and Vicki Pugmire

​

​

The company is now in its second season; and it scores big with this show by bringing in some of the best of Utah’s theater talent. A play like this really takes a director and cast that understand that while this seems to be a kitchen sink drama, it’s also a gritty horror story, and aren’t afraid to dig in and get their hands and hearts a little dirty. In this case, the cast is led by visionary director and playwright Morag Shepherd, who grew up in Scotland and England.

​

Shepherd is a director that always brings out the very best in her actors, and this show is no exception. She’s assembled an excellent cast here; all four have an excellent command of the language in what is not an easy script. Anne Louise Brings (Maureen) and Vicki Pugmire (Mag) are both actresses that have great range and depth, and it’s fascinating to watch them together. Brings flits about like a tetchy bird in a cage in their scrappy, cramped living space, pecking at her mother incessantly and sometimes brutally. She beautifully and subtly depicts her character’s sense of being imprisoned; she has a tic that she repeats a few times where she seemingly unconsciously bangs her fists against the walls of her home.

​

“The Beauty Queen of Leenane” will stay with you; it’s a uniquely Irish play in that it’s about the slow erosion of the country’s identity; the language, the culture and the people. But there are also universal themes that keep the piece feeling utterly relevant despite the fact that it’s more than 25 years old; the isolation of Maureen and Mag reminds us of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we can all identify with that feeling that the place we grew up in is stifling us; there’s always another Emerald City lying just beyond our grasp that might make all our dreams come true.

​

Review: Hart Theater’s ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ showcases powerful performances (Gephardt Daily)

"I have been waiting with anticipation since Hart Theater Company announced its show - and it didn't disappoint. Really well done - the actors were fantastic! I love Martin McDonagh's writing and it was beautifully directed by Morag Shepherd.

Don't miss this show."

~ Rocio Soto

bottom of page