About this item
"One of the best American plays of the past quarter century." - Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal"An immensely entertaining pop artifact. Written with neon-lit flamboyance." - Vincent Canby, New York Times"A brilliant play. A major theatrical event." - Michael Billington, Guardian"A tense, gut-twisting thriller ride in the theater. An astonishing piece of work." - Richard Christiansen, Chicago Tribune"One of our most valuable playwrights." - Time Out New YorkThe Smith family hatch a plan to murder their estranged matriarch for her insurance money. They hire Killer Joe Cooper, a police detective and part-time contract killer, to do the job. Once he enters their trailer, their simple plan spirals out of control. Letts's shocking and unforgettable first play, originally staged in 1993 in a cramped theatre in Evanston, Illinois, quickly became a must-see and ran for eight months before later runs in Edinburgh, New York and London, including four months on the West End.
About the Author
Tracy Letts was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for August: Osage County, which premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre in 2007 and later played on Broadway, at London's National Theatre, and at theatres around the United States and internationally. In 2013, August: Osage County became a feature film starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. Other writing credits include The Minutes, Linda Vista, Mary Page Marlowe, Man from Nebraska, Killer Joe, Bug and Superior Donuts. He has been an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre Company since 2002. As an actor, he was awarded a 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? . His screen acting credits include a role on Homeland, the film The Lovers, as well as the Oscar-nominated film Lady Bird.
