The Kent County Theatre Guild is presenting Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane.
The play, which premiered in 1996, has both tragic and comedic moments, but at its heart, it’s about a deeply broken relationship.
“There are some twists and turns and very much an audience surprise as to how it ends, but I'll say that it is a look at a dysfunctional mother daughter relationship in very rural Western Ireland," says one of the play's stars.
Sartell plays Maureen, the daughter, appearing opposite Terri Thompson, who plays her mother, Mag.
Thompson says she drew on her own experience caring for a loved one to prepare for her role.
“I did that for my mother before she passed away, so I can relate to both sides," she says.
Sartell says her experience working with geriatric patients as a nurse practitioner informed her performance.
She adds that, while Kent County Theatre Guild often performs lighter fare, she hopes this will show audiences the company’s versatility.
“We have a lot of audiences that come back show after show and we tend to do a lot of comedies and farces and things like that," she says. "And you kind of hope that you give them a new appreciation of drama.”
The Kent County Theatre Guild’s performances of The Beauty Queen of Leenane continue this weekend and next in Dover. Tickets and showtimes are at the KCTG website.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
