Photo courtesy of STONE ARCH PLAYERS
Starring in the Stone Arch Players’ production of ‘Crimes of the Heart’ are front row from left: Jessica Filson, Emilee Flynn and Allison Echard; and back row: Jared Kehler, Erin Ross and Barry Gibson.

LEWISTOWN — The Stone Arch Players are heading to Hazlehurst, Miss., this spring as they prepare to open “Crimes of the Heart,” Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning blend of comedy and heartbreak.

The production opens Friday, May 1, at the Theatre in the Park in Kishacoquillas Park and runs for three weekends, offering audiences a story that is equal parts chaotic, charming and deeply human.

The show marks a notable return for director Alan Peoples, who is leading his first Stone Arch Players production since 2013. A longtime member of the troupe, Peoples has been involved with SAP since the mid-1980s but stepped away from directing for more than a decade. A recent job change opened up his schedule, and he said the timing finally felt right to come back.

“I saw ‘Crimes of the Heart’ when I was in college, sometime around 1984 in Bloomsburg, and the storyline just stuck with me,” said Peoples, who is co-directing with Abby Fleming.

A Southern

story with humor and heart

“Crimes of the Heart” follows the emotional reunion of the three Magrath sisters in their hometown of Hazlehurst, Miss., where long-buried family wounds collide with new crises. The entire play unfolds inside the kitchen of the Magrath home, a setting that forces the sisters into close quarters as they confront the past and the choices that have shaped their lives.

The story begins on Lenny Magrath’s 30th birthday. Lenny, who has stayed in Hazlehurst to care for their ailing grandfather, carries the weight of responsibility and loneliness. Her quiet routine is shattered when she learns that her youngest sister, Babe, has shot her abusive husband, Zackery Bottrelle, and now faces serious legal consequences. Their cousin Chick arrives with plenty of judgment and little sympathy, adding to the tension in the house.

Meg, the middle sister, returns from Los Angeles after a failed attempt at a singing career. She brings charm, impulsiveness and unresolved heartbreak back into the family home, stirring up old memories and new complications. Babe, fragile and unpredictable, becomes the center of the crisis as the sisters try to understand what drove her to pull the trigger — and what will happen next.

As the three women navigate the fallout, they also confront deeper wounds: their mother’s suicide, their father’s abandonment and the emotional isolation each has carried into adulthood. Secrets surface, resentments flare and loyalties are tested, but the sisters also rediscover the humor and tenderness that bind them together.

Despite its dark subject matter, the play uses comedy as a lifeline. The Magraths cope with pain through awkwardness, absurdity and the kind of laughter that only family can provoke. By the final scenes, each sister faces her own “crime of the heart” — the emotional missteps, desires and regrets that have shaped her life — and begins to find a path toward forgiveness and growth.

A director returning to a changed stage

Peoples said stepping back into directing after more than a decade has shown him just how much the behind-the-scenes process has evolved.

“Times have changed since the last time I sat in the director’s chair,” he said.

One of the biggest differences is the way we now handle set construction. “It’s nice we have a dedicated crew that does it for me,” he said. “We used to have work parties with the cast and crew. This takes a lot of stress off the director and cast.”

He also noted improvements in the audience experience. “Our ticketing system is nice for patrons,” he said.

Eight weeks

of work coming together

Rehearsals have moved quickly, with the cast diving into the emotional and comedic layers of the script. Peoples said the group has been fully committed from the start.

“It’s going really well, can’t say enough about how hard the cast has worked. It’s a lot of fun, and I’m glad to be doing it again,” Peoples said.

The production is entering its final stretch, with a full run-through in costumes and makeup took place on Monday. “Monday — doing whole show with costumes and makeup, it will be interesting,” he said prior to the run-through.

With opening night approaching, Peoples said the rehearsal period has passed faster than expected. “This show, eight weeks of rehearsals, fly by so quickly.”

As the cast prepares to bring the Magrath sisters’ story to life, Peoples said he is eager to see the final product on stage. “I’m excited to see it,” he said. “I’m just excited to bring this show to life, see what the cast can finally do with it.”

Cast

• Jessica Filson as Lenny Magrath;

• Allison Echard as Meg Magrat

• Emilee Flynn as Babe Botrelle

• Erin Ross as Chick Boyle

• Jared Kehler as Barnette Lloyd

• Barry Gibson as Doc Porter

Showtimes and ticket information

“Crimes of the Heart” will be performed:

• Fridays: May 1, 8 and 15 at 7:30 p.m.

• Saturdays: May 2, 9 and 16 at 7:30 p.m.

• Sundays: May 10 and 17 at 2 p.m.

General admission tickets cost $15 and can be purchased online at https://stonearchplayers.csstix.com.