“August: Osage County” opens the winter theater season at The Waterfront Playhouse.

Described by the New York Times as “flat-out, no asterisks and without qualifications the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years,” the play mines the emotional fields of families at the breaking point.Tracy Letts won the Pulitzer Price and Tony Award for his play, which is set in rural Oklahoma where three generations of an extended clan have gathered.The trigger for the coming home is the disappearance of the family patriarch. As the family ties that bind bring all back to the home place, it’s clear this is not a coming “together.””What ensues is one bitch of a family reunion that is hilarious, shocking and riveting,” writes Danny Walters, artistic director for The Waterfront Playhouse.The play is also a chance to showcase a broad lineup of Key West’s talented actors.Weathers says it may very well be “one of the finest ensembles ever gathered on a Key West stage.” The cast of 13 includes John Wells (Beverly), Joy Hawkins (Violet), George diBraud (Barbara), Bob Bowersox (Bill), Jessica Miano Kruel (Jean), Chris Stone (Mattie Fae), Tom Murtha (Charlie), Kyle Caskey (Little Charles), George Murphy (Steve), Joe McMurray (Deon) and new to the Waterfront stage are Stephanie Yosen (Ivy), Nicole Nurenberg (Karen) and Shakti Assouline (Johnna).Michael Boyer created the rambling Oklahoma house; Carmen Rodriguez is the costume designer and David Bird created the lighting for “August: Osage County.”Trish Manley is the stage manager.Christine Dolen, writing for The Miami Herald, says of the play: “This magnificent play manages to be well-made and utterly contemporary. Not to mention hugely entertaining.”Again, the Times review: “In ‘August: Osage County’ can be heard echoes of other classic dramas about the strangling grip of blood ties – from Eugene O’Neill’s ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ to Sam Shepard’s ‘Buried Child.'”But Mr. Letts infuses his dark drama with potent energies derived from two more populist forms of American entertainment. The play has the zip and zingy humor of classic television situation comedy and the absorbing narrative propulsion of a juicy soap opera, too.””August: Osage County” ran for more than two years on Broadway, winning every major theater award. Two preview performances are scheduled for Dec. 20-21 with reduced ticket prices of $25 per person. Opening night is Thursday, Dec. 22, and includes a catered post-performance reception, sponsored by Bunnie Smith, that will be held in the sculpture garden in front of the playhouse.Curtain time for all shows is 7:30 p.m. and the play runs through Jan. 14.For tickets call 294-5015 or, online, visit: www.waterfrontplayhouse.org.The production is sponsored by KEY TV and season sponsors Wodu Media, Digital Island Media and ATT: The Real Yellow Pages.