The conclusion of the UNCW Department of Theatre’s 2025–2026 season began Thursday evening with the opening night of Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Crimes of the Heart,” a simple yet superb production certain to add a flair of Southern comedy and touching moments to the stage.
Set during the 1970s, Babe Magrath (played by Lily Hovis) finds her innocence in jeopardy when she shoots her abusive husband, Zackery. Set to ease her conscience, she returns to the small town of Hazelhurst, Miss., reuniting with her dysfunctional sisters who both carry grievances of their own. Hand-in-hand, the trio attempts to look beyond their challenges with vigor, optimism and a little bit of humor.
As Babe looks to cover up her wrongdoings, her sister Lenny (played by Makayla Brock), who is first seen celebrating her 30th birthday by herself, tries to bring her social life back into the stratosphere, while also lifting the weight of the family’s problems on her shoulders, primarily the illness of their “Old Granddaddy” More concerned with her own problems is Meg (played by Hadley Ayers), who has just quit a rather uneventful singing career and has taken up a job at a dog food company. The three sisters attempt to make sense of their struggles in the kitchen of Old Granddaddy’s house, and whether they like it or not, they must come to terms with their past.
Joining this trio of eccentric young women are Doc Porter (played by Jacob Kwak), who has found guilt in leaving the arms of Meg in favor of another woman, Chick Boyle (played by Emma Davis), the sisters’ happy-go-lucky cousin who is perhaps more concerned about the family than anyone in the play and Barnette Lloyd (played by Niko Maloney), a lawyer just starting a firm in town who has found charm and honor in helping to defend Babe’s case. Alongside these engaging residents of Hazelhurst, the three girls are taken through a series of humorous chapters, pressing episodes and charming moments that audiences are sure to be fascinated by.
As the Department of Theatre finds great delight in performing yet another superb show, they are met with a sense of reflection as the season comes to a close, similar to the Magrath sisters. After the retirement of Ed Wagenseller in December and the death of former chairman Tom Salzman in January, the department has learned that “we can come together to listen, to laugh and to marvel at the restorative power of art-making,” states current chairwoman Katherine Montwieler. They are confident that the viewer will find themselves immersed in this vibrant Southern setting while also aware of the heartfulness and comfort of familyhood.
“Crimes of the Heart” is currently scheduled for April 16–19, and 23–26 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the Cultural Arts Building box office or by going to uncwarts.universitytickets.com.
