For Terry Lynn Carlson, Minnesota Festival Theatre’s director, his time in Albert Lea is like a working vacation. But for Meg, Babe and Lenny their reunion isn’t on such pleasant terms. The three sisters are main characters in Minnesota Festival Theatre’s production of &uot;Crimes of the Heart.&uot;

The gothic comedy, set in Mississippi in the 1970s revolves around the unhappy events of their grandfather’s hospitalization and impending death, Babe’s recent shooting of her senator husband and Lenny’s 30th birthday.

&uot;The characters have to deal with all these difficult situations,&uot; Carlson said. &uot;The comedy is in the way they do it.&uot;

Carlson said the audience is simply thrust into the characters’ lives for a short time, with no real resolution for their problems. The whole play is set in the kitchen of the grandfather’s home. The MaGrath sisters moved in with their grandparents in Hazelhurst, Miss. after their mother hung herself with the family cat. With that damning start, the psychosis the sisters face now is no surprise.

Lenny, played by actress Joan Howe, is the eldest MaGrath sister. She has stayed at home to care for the ailing grandfather, and is convinced she will remain a spinster forever. Christine Nelson plays Dim-witted youngster Babe who has just been bailed out of jail for shooting her husband in the stomach. Lenny has also just called the middle child Meg home from California. Meg, played by Stacie Erickson, was committed to a mental institution and turned to alcohol after a failed singing career.

Three more characters complete the cast. Ben Kernan plays Barnett Lloyd, Babe’s lawyer with a long-standing crush on her. The MaGrath sisters also have a prickly, socially climbing cousin in Chick Boyle, played by MFT veteran Lisa Sturtz. The plot’s twisted elements get a little more tangled with the introduction of Doc. Played by local Ben Compton, Doc is Meg’s old flame whose leg was crushed during a hurricane when she refused to take shelter from the storm.

&uot;It’s such a wonderful play for

women,&uot; said Howe.

The play was a natural choice for MFT because of its abundant women’s roles and it is a personal favorite of Carlson’s, but it almost wasn’t selected for production this season. &uot;Crimes of the Heart&uot; was put on the back burner for &uot;I Love a Piano,&uot; but that play is off limits because writers are reworking it for a re-release on Broadway.

&uot;Plays like this are best done straight up, as simply and clearly as possible. ‘Crimes of the Heart’ is really beautiful and honest, with strong sisterhood themes. It’s great without changes,&uot; Carlson said about his plans for the play.

Actors Stacie Erickson, Joan Howe, Ben Kernan, and Christine Nelson are all first-timers at MFT and are based in the Twin Cities. The foursome collectively have been involved in more than 60 different professional productions.

&uot;One thing I really like about it is having full days to work on rehearsal,&uot; said Nelson. &uot;The local actors working with us are fantastic.&uot;

All that working time means the three lead actresses have had time to immerse themselves in their roles more than the usually do, they said.

&uot;I feel like there’s more focus,&uot; Erickson said. &uot;This is your life for three weeks.&uot;

Albert Lea resident Lisa Sturtz is in her seventh MFT production. This is Mike Compton’s third production in Albert Lea and his first for MFT. Compton, who moved to Albert Lea with his family in the last year, was involved in community theatre productions in the Brahm, MN area previously.

Carlson’s diverse cast is a result of holding auditions in St. Paul and in Albert Lea.

&uot;We like to have as many local people involved as possible,&uot; said Carlson.

Crimes of the Heart plays nightly at 7:30 p.m. starting June 26-30 as well as July 2 and 5, with a 2 p.m. matinee on July 6. Individual tickets are $15. Call the box office at 377-4371 to reserve seats.