The Southwest Florida premiere of Killer Joe by Tracy Letts at The Laboratory Theater of Florida has been postponed to Jan. 21, maintaining its run through Feb. 5.
With the rapid increase of COVID-19 due to the Omicron variant, the theater has decided to push back the opening of the show until Friday, Jan. 21. The theater will continue all safety procedures including maintaining socially distant seating and requiring everyone to properly wear their masks while at the theater.
Killer Joe is a dark comedy that follows a dysfunctional Texas family that hires a hitman to kill a relative with a sizable life insurance policy.
Every family has its secrets. Some family secrets are darker than others. With a plot that is pure pulp fiction, the play delivers the raw power of a Tarantino-esque piece while finding the delightful humor in the twisted reality of this family. Letts holds nothing back with his morally bankrupt Texas trailer park family, each family member feeling trapped as the weight of the world closes in on them. They each have their reasons to justify the hiring of an assassin to solve their problems. But they aren’t the only ones making plans and pulling strings.
Directed by Nykkie Rizley, the cast features Justin Larsche as Joe, Steven Coe as Chris, Adrial McCloud as Dottie, Heather Johnson as Sharla and Ryan Adair making his SW Florida debut as Ansel.
Rizley says, “Killer Joe is ripe with humor, sexuality, dysfunction, sweat and grit, and creepy uneasiness… all of the things I love about dissecting the underbelly of humanity. As Stephen King once said of why we love horror, ‘this is a very peculiar sort of fun indeed.’”
Artistic director Annette Trossbach adds, “Slick, dirty, awkwardly hilarious, and lovingly directed by Nykkie Rizley, Killer Joe is a delicious roller coaster of poor decisions. Lab Theater veterans Steven Coe and Justin Larsche are beautifully matched by Lab Theater newcomer Ryan Adair, who plays the dim father-figure, Ansel. And Heather Johnson and Adrial McCloud round out this talented cast. In a show with this much stage combat, trust and teamwork are imperative- our whole team here at Lab Theater is delighted to participate in and share this wild journey.”
This play contains adult language, sexual situations, gunshots, smoking, nudity. Only those 18+ will be admitted.
Performance dates are Jan.14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 and Feb. 3, 4 and 5 at 8 p.m.; Jan. 16, 23 and 30 at 2 p.m. Half price previews are Jan. 12 and 13 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $30 each or $10 for students with valid student IDs. Seating is socially distant and limited for safety. Masks are required to be worn when inside the theater.
For tickets, call the box office at 239-218-0481 or online at www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com.
The Laboratory Theater is located at 1634 Woodford Ave. in Fort Myers.
