"The Minutes" - by Tracy Letts - Studio Theatre Worcester (Worcester, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of Tracy Letts' "THE MINUTES," presented by Studio Theatre Worcester in Worcester, MA. now playing through September 21, 2025. Photo Credit Emma Purple Photography)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“The issue before this council is just what kind of community do you want to live in. The issue before this council is what kind of people we are."
– (“Carp”) / Tracy Letts
Studio Theatre Worcester
Presents Tracy Letts'
"THE MINUTES"
Written by Tracy Letts
Directed by Mitch Kiliulis
Cast Includes: John Brownlie as “Mr. Peel,” Patrick French as “Mayor Superba,” Christina Pierro Biggins as “Ms. Johnson,” Elijah Lidonde as “Mr. Blake,” Matthew Johnson as “Mr. Breeding,” Thomas Mshooshian as “Mr. Hanratty,” Scott Salley as “Mr. Assalone,” Cindy Bell as “Ms. Innes,” Lena Vani as “Ms. Matz,” Michael Walker as “Mr. Oldfield,” Kaven Matyczynski as “Mr. Carp.”
Additional Creative Team:
Stage Manager – Marita Gattone; Dramaturg – Lydia Cochran; Fight Choreographer – Michael Bailey; Costume Coordinator – Lizzie Seaburg; Production Manager – Morgan Fitzpatrick; Master Electrician – Dave Plante; Master Carpenter – Sean Kyle; Marketing Director – Sandy Clancy; Technical Director/Designer – John Somers.
Performances:
September 12, 2025 through September 21, 2025
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
Performances to be held in the black box theatre at the Worcester Academy Performance Center, 15 Marion Street, Worcester, MA.
TICKETS:
Tickets are available at:
https://www.studiotheatreworcester.org/tickets
Website: www.studiotheatreworcester.org
Box Office # 508-556-0576
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
(Warning: The following review may contain spoilers)
Studio Theatre Worcester (STW) is back in session with an intense, penetrating look into local politics (No, wait! Don’t run away yet!) and clandestine dealings in "THE MINUTES."
This is stimulating and vitally important piece which should be seen over and over again to remind us all that “ALL politics is local politics.”
The one-act "MINUTES" comes from "August: Osage County" author, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winner, Tracy S. Letts.
Without question, this is my favorite play from within the last 10 years.
This is a prodigiously crafted tale, well executed by the STW ensemble under the “council leadership” of Mitch Kiliulis.
(Photo: Patrick French as “Mayor Superba” converses with John Brownlie as “Mr. Peel” at the outset of Tracy Letts' "THE MINUTES," presented by Studio Theatre Worcester in Worcester, MA. now playing through September 21, 2025. Photo Credit Emma Purple Photography)
In my best Rod Serling tone:
Picture, if you will, the single set design of a typical city or town hall governance room that has many imperfections – the walls have weathered cracks, the wallpaper is wearing tissue paper-thin, the spacing for where the representatives sit is sorely limited, resulting in them bumping into walls as each one stands or sits, and above all their heads are the clocks that do not work, as if time itself has been forever stilled.
These design imperfections found in this room are intentionally symbolic of the imperfections and overwhelming stagnation found in most governing bodies which, in concept itself, is symbolic of the varied imperfections and stagnation found in their constituencies.
Every single performance in "THE MINUTES" is methodical, on point and, even as certain events take a bizarre turn, it does not diminish from the overall impact of multiple revelations as the story progresses.
"THE MINUTES" premiered in Chicago in 2017 with previews in 2020 in New York City.
Before the play was due to open, COVID-19 pandemic shut down all of Broadway and the production was cancelled.
In 2022, a production of "THE MINUTES" was staged at New York's Studio 54 and the play was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play.
(Photo: Michael Walker as “Mr. Oldfield” and Cindy Bell as “Ms. Innes” in a scene from Tracy Letts' "THE MINUTES," presented by Studio Theatre Worcester in Worcester, MA. now playing through September 21, 2025. Photo Credit Emma Purple Photography)
In a prior review, mentioned the following before but it bears repeating:
For a number of years, as a news correspondent, I reported on many meetings - from school boards, city councils, boards of health, boards of selectmen and the like.
As anyone who has been lucky enough to attend one of the above meetings, every one is filled with gripping tension, high intensity, sex, intrigue and all out excitement.
I'm lying, of course.
They are incredibly routine, prosaic and, if you can stay awake long enough to make it through any of the above, you are a far better person than I.
This is not to disparage anyone who selflessly performs praiseworthy tasks for their communities on a regular basis.
However...I have always said I would rather cover a really horrible play (hello "Frankenstein") than a really good selectmen's meeting.
The accuracy of "THE MINUTES" and how many of the above meetings run via "Robert's Rules of Order" is top-notch.
The only thing missing from the Studio Theatre Worcester production, proficiently staged by Kiliulis, is the awe-inspiring boredom...thankfully.
With "THE MINUTES," it is a pleasure to cover a really bizarre city council meeting WITHOUT the stunning mundaneness.
(Photo: John Brownlie as “Mr. Peel” speaks with Christina Pierro Biggins as “Ms. Johnson” in a scene from Tracy Letts' "THE MINUTES," presented by Studio Theatre Worcester in Worcester, MA. now playing through September 21, 2025. Photo Credit Emma Purple Photography)
This particular meeting takes place on a stormy day in November in small town called "Big Cherry."
The events of the meeting unfold in real time and, for the characters, as advertised, the revelations unmask "undercurrents that threaten to undo life as they know it."
The catalyst for the events that follow is a councilman, Mr. Peel (John Brownlie) who was absent for a previous meeting due to a death in the family.
Upon the entrances of the other members of the council, each person expresses their condolences and attempt to get down to the new meeting business.
As Peel, Brownlie is outstanding showing Peel’s growing concern over a singular event from the missed meeting where a councilman, Mr. Carp (Kaven Matyczynski), was ousted with no explanation and no available transcript of the meeting (i.e. "THE MINUTES").
The mystery deepens as he confronts each member, one by one, for more information.
Again, the story unfolds in real time - and what happens within a relatively short amount of time to escalate the situation from benign to horrifying is astonishing.
Letts’ incredibly crafted tale typically involve characters presented with moral and spiritual questions.
"THE MINUTES" is no different.
Once the meeting begins, Peel attempts to follow procedure to make the information known, but he runs into obstacles from nearly every member, led by Mayor Superba (Patrick French).
As the Mayor, French is scrupulous in his performance as he lets us see that not only can this Mayor be amiable, he can also be quite controlling and, if needed, ruthless.
Peel seemingly has only two real allies as he seeks the truth about what happened.
The first is fellow councilman, Mr. Hanratty (Thomas Mshooshian), who is, himself, at odds with the council as he seeks a new statue and handicap access ramp for a fountain located in the center of Big Cherry (to coincide with a major town founding anniversary celebration).
Mshooshian is textbook perfect as the perturbed Hanratty, who explains in detail to Peel and the council how the statue would commemorate a significant historical town-defining event which, for some old western movie fans, might seem oddly familiar.
The other ally for Peel is council secretary, Ms. Johnson (Christina Pierro Biggins), a stoic, exacting record keeper who, by directive, is aware of far more than she is allowed to reveal.
Biggins is quite effective as the detail-driven Ms. Johnson, who resists trying to aid Peel in fear she may be deemed “disloyal” to her position by others on the council.
(Photo: Scott Salley as “Mr. Assalone” and Christina Pierro Biggins as “Ms. Johnson” listen to Kaven Matyczynski as “Mr. Carp” in a pivotal moment from Tracy Letts' "THE MINUTES," presented by Studio Theatre Worcester in Worcester, MA. now playing through September 21, 2025. Photo Credit Emma Purple Photography)
In a skillfully executed eccentric performance, Michael Walker plays eldest councilman Mr. Oldfield (Michael Walker), who utters some of the oddest comments throughout the meeting, indicating he might not be all there.
Elijah Lidonde gives a balanced portrayal of the greedy conservative "Mr. Blake," whose idea of funding of the Big Cherry celebration involves a "smack-down" cage for paid fighting events rather than Hanratty's statue and access ramp.
The only thing Blake cares about is how the investment might ultimately best benefit him.
Councilmen Breeding (Matthew Johnson) and Assalone (Scott Salley) each have their own objections to Hanratty's proposal but seem to be making excuses to deflect Peel from making further inquiries about Carp.
Both Johnson and Salley show great intensity as this pair of arrogant "bullies" on the city council, with each one trying to save their own interests by keeping their "questionable" actions concealed.
Rounding out the members of the council are the long-winded Ms. Innes (Cindy Bell) and overly-medicated Ms. Matz (Lena Vani).
Bell and Vani provide a lot of much-needed humor into the story, contributing to the awkwardness of the proceedings before things deteriorate becoming far more intense.
"THE MINUTES" is an allegorical masterpiece by Letts and one which would have probably made "Twilight Zone" creator Rod Serling proud...or jealous that he did not write it himself.
In the Letts’ script, the dialogue flows energetically and each member of the STW cats shares in the occasionally intricate exchanges fluidly and without ever faltering.
There is also a bizarre "re-enactment" of historical events that seemingly comes out of nowhere but, once it begins, it is wildly funny (yet, simultaneously, is filled with far darker imagery).
The more Peel...well..."peels" away at the mystery, the clearer it becomes that what happened to Carp is a discussion and group decision-making governance that is covered in "Robert's Rules of Order."
Matyczynski as Carp does not appear until much later in the story but, once he does, his commanding presence soon elicits information that changes everything that has come before.
Unfortunately, there were some volume issues as, during the September 14th performance, it was occasionally hard to hear Matyczynski.
(Photo: The CAST of Tracy Letts' "THE MINUTES," presented by Studio Theatre Worcester in Worcester, MA. now playing through September 21, 2025. Photo Credit Emma Purple Photography)
The question isn't necessarily if the mystery WILL be solved.
The question is more how might WE react to the information IF the mystery is solved.
No spoilers but, any community planning a similar "founders day celebration" any time soon might want to first experience "THE MINUTES" before making plans.
Tracy Letts' "THE MINUTES" continues at the black box theatre at the Worcester Academy Performance Center, 15 Marion Street in Worcester, Ma. until September 21st, 2025 and absolutely, without any debate, this is one meeting you won't want to miss before it gets out of session.
For tickets and more information, call the Box Office at # 508-556-0576 or visit Studio Theatre Worcester at www.studiotheatreworcester.org
We are adjourned.
Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
An evening in Big Cherry – a small town in anywhere USA – and the city council meeting unfolds in real time, unmasking undercurrents that threaten to undo life as they know it … and driving the question - “How far would you go?”
Award-winning playwright Tracy Letts’ ("August: Osage County") play was called one of the most thrilling on Broadway in recent years.
Nominated as Best New Play by the Tony Awards and Outer Critics Circle in 2022, and for the Pulitzer Prize in drama, "THE MINUTES" is part biting comedy, part Hitchockian mystery, and at its dark heart an unflinching allegory about small-town politics and real-world power.
“...both a political comedy and a wicked, methodically plotted horror show… It’s devilishly funny until it’s not. It is thrilling and essential theater …” - Variety
“It’s an important play, a visceral theatrical experience about what has happened to retail American democracy and how this nation decides which stories about itself it wants to believe.” - NY Daily News.
ABOUT STUDIO THEATRE WORCESTER
MISSION:
STUDIO THEATRE WORCESTER (STW) is committed to a differentiated, professional theatre experience that reflects the diversity and vibrancy of Worcester communities. Our high quality, theatrical productions and education programs inspire and challenge our audiences while providing compensated opportunities for artists.
VISION:
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Produce QUALITY productions that elicit VISCERAL experiences for our patrons. Foster INCLUSIVITY, DIVERSITY, and EQUITY throughout all areas of our organization. Encourage continued learning by providing EDUCATION opportunities. Promote and invest in the use of LOCAL talent. Invest in INNOVATION to keep the costs of our productions and classes affordable. Develop a strong bond with the COMMUNITY. Identify and DISMANTLE SYSTEMS that inhibit access to theatre. Build SUSTAINABLE VALUE through fiscal responsibility.
