“The Minutes” Looks at the Past, Giving Us Lessons for our Present

Adding to its long line of superbly crafted productions, The Keegan Theatre in Washington DC is staging The Minutes, a 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist written by Tracy Letts. Set entirely within a city council meeting in the fictional town of Big Cherry, USA, the play is briskly performed in one act over the course of a comedic and captivating 90 minutes.

Letts’ story draws the audience in with wry humor as the council members exchange their neighborly niceties, sometimes sincere yet often awkward. But the hometown hospitality isn’t all as it seems in Big Cherry, as The Minutes steers the audience into introspection and conflict. The play grapples with themes that feel particularly potent in our current political and social climate, exploring how we interpret our shared history and how those interpretations are influenced by entrenched views, tradition, financial interests, personal agendas, and political positioning.

Pulitzer Playwright Challenges Audiences to Examine History

Letts, who also received the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize for his play, August: Osage County, shows a different side of his literary prowess in The Minutes. In contrast with Osage County, which deals with generational trauma, addiction, and conflict within a family and is performed in three acts over more than three hours, The Minutes is a taut, focused examination of how history is shaped and manipulated. The play explores these complex questions while avoiding the pitfalls of preachiness.

Director Susan Marie Rhea deftly navigates this balance. As she explains in an interview with DC Theater Arts, Letts’ The Minutes masterfully intertwines humor and profound statements about our traditions and histories. Similarly, Rhea, the cast, and the production crew intertwine their storytelling to create a riveting narrative experience. Rhea keeps the dialogue crisp and engaging, ensuring the rapid-fire exchanges among the large cast are not only intelligible but also compelling. The play’s use of lighting transitions for flashback sequences is particularly effective, adding a visual element that guides the audience through past and present. And Rhea’s staging effectively utilizes the space, allowing the audience members’ eyes to effortlessly follow the action and interactions of the many actors on stage without missing a beat.

The cast meets the challenge admirably. Each actor brings a unique energy to their role, making the citizens of Big Cherry feel like a genuine, albeit grumpy and argumentative, community. The performances are delightfully nuanced, shifting between the mundane and the extraordinary as the play unfolds. The characters, while archetypal, never feel like caricatures, thanks to the actors’ grounded portrayals.

The Minutes Shines on Keegan’s Stage

The Minutes is a testament to The Keegan Theatre’s ability to tackle diverse and challenging works. The production is a worthy addition to their repertoire, showcasing the theatre’s commitment to presenting thought-provoking and engaging productions. As the troupe’s season continues, one can expect to see more of this high caliber of work from The Keegan, with each production offering a unique theatrical experience.

The Minutes is a play that demands attention and introspection. It’s a timely reminder of how our understanding of the past can shape our present and future. The Keegan Theatre’s production, under the skilled direction of Susan Marie Rhea and complemented by its talented cast and crew, brings Letts’ vision to life with finesse and clarity. It’s a production not to be missed.

The Minutes is showing at the The Keegan Theatre through May 3rd, 2026. For tickets and information, visit https://keegantheatre.com/portfolio/the-minutes/. 

Playwright: Tracy Letts

Director: Susan Marie Rhea

Runtime: 90 minutes with no intermission