Killer Joe (play)

Killer Joe is a play written by Tracy Letts in 1993.

Killer Joe
Written byTracy Letts
CharactersChris Smith (twenty-two years old)
Sharla Smith (early thirties)
Ansel Smith (thirty-eight years old)
Dottie Smith (twenty years old)
Killer Joe Cooper (mid-thirties)
Date premieredAugust 3, 1993 (1993-08-03)
Place premieredNext Theatre Lab, Evanston, Illinois
Original languageEnglish
GenreBlack comedy, thriller, in-yer-face theatre
Setting"A trailer home on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas"

Productions

The play was produced then premiered in 1993 at the Next Theatre Lab, in Evanston, Illinois, directed by Wilson Milam.[1] After a successful run, Killer Joe was transferred to the Traverse Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The play gained positive reviews,[2] and received the Fringe First award, given to new productions at the festival. The play then made its New York premiere Off-Off-Broadway by 29th Street Repertory in 1994.[3]

Killer Joe transferred to London on 16 January 1995 at the Bush Theatre. The limited run at the Bush Theatre was a sell out, and once again received rave reviews.[4] After closing at the Bush Theatre, Killer Joe opened at the Vaudeville Theatre, London, for one year.

Killer Joe was revived Off-Broadway at the Soho Playhouse in October 1998 until 13 June 1999, starring Scott Glenn, Amanda Plummer and Michael Shannon.[5]

In 2018, Killer Joe opened at the Trafalgar Studio, London, starring Orlando Bloom, Sophie Cookson, Adam Gillen, Steffan Rhodri and Neve McIntosh.[6] This production was directed by Simon Evans.[7] Previews began on May 18, with the official opening on June 4. The production closed on August 18, 2018. Adam Gillen was nominated for a 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor In a Supporting Role for his role in the production.[8]

Synopsis

Killer Joe is set in a trailer park in Mesquite, Texas, in present day. It follows the story of police detective and hit-man Joe Cooper. Joe is hired to kill the mother of a young drug dealer, Chris, with Chris's father Ansel as an accomplice. However, Chris and Ansel cannot afford to pay Joe, so Joe accepts Chris' innocent sister Dottie as a form of payment until the debts can be paid.

Adaptation

Letts adapted the dark comedy into the film Killer Joe in 2011.[9]

References
  1. "The Sensational Saga Of A 'Killer' Show". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  2. "Episode 888 - Tracy Letts". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  3. Hampton, Wilborn. "Theater Review; Dysfunctional Family Redefines The Concept". Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  4. "A killer on the loose". The Independent. 1995-01-24. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  5. "Off-Broadway's Killer Joe to Close June 13 | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  6. "Orlando Bloom Will Star in Tracy Letts' Killer Joe in the West End". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  7. "Simon Evans on BBC lockdown drama Staged and Oxford Playhouse fundraiser starring Stephen Fry, Marcus Brigstocke, Lucy Porter & Rachel Parris". Ox In A Box. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  8. Thomas, Sophie (2019-04-08). "Olivier Awards 2019: Full list of winners". London Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  9. Killer Joe (2011) - IMDb, retrieved 2019-04-07
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