Cannibals of McGower County at Theatreworks
Well Acted but Tough to Watch
By: Karen Isaacs - Aug 19, 2026
The acting is terrific; the production values are great and yet The Cannibals of McCower County is a play I probably will never see again.
Why? I find it difficult to watch a character who relishes in manipulation of people as well as emotional and physical cruelty. A character with no redeeming qualities.
Watching the world premiere production of the play at TheaterWorks Hartford, I was reminded of the plays by Edward Bond and some Harold Pinter. But it also reminded me of the British play, The Killing of Sister George.
The play is described as part southern Gothic and part black comedy, but playwright Drew Larimore has not integrated the two genres, but rather made the first third of the approximately 90 minute, no intermission play the black humor and the rest, the southern Gothic
It opens with Lindalyn, an elderly woman and her younger friend Viola breaking into a deserted abandoned luncheonette to steal and resell things. Lindalyn is obviously the dominant leader. They apparently do this regularly but on this night, they have gone farther afield to the ghost town of McGowan County, Texas.
They are surprised when a pickup truck pulls up and as they hide in the bathroom two young people enter Blaze and Sarah Nell. We learn that the young man has bought this ghost town with plans to revitalize it with Sarah Nell. She has major insecurities yet yearns for something different and better. They soon leave to euphemistically “make out” under an old tree on the property.
It’s a contrivance because it allows Lindalyn and Viola to emerge from their hiding place. All is not quite what it seems. It may not have been accidental that the two women showed up there.
Explaining more of the plot would give away too much; if the setup takes about a third of the play, the remaining two thirds leads more directly to the denouement, which is the last five minutes. That ending, while offering a glimmer of hope, is rushed and weakly motivated.
The playwright is a little too obvious in making sure the audience understands what the title means; Lindalyn’s mention of “cannibals” multiple times seems both unnatural for the character and unnecessary. Certainly, she has negative view of society. During the final few minutes, we also understood a few oblique lines that might have passed unnoticed by the audience.
Director Jen Wineman has assembled a fine cast. She carefully builds the tension and the suspense. The cast deserve accolades for being fully committed to their characters. Annalee Jefferies, who plays Lindalyn does not try even subtly to make her in any way likable or even sympathetic. Even if you make some assumptions about the character’s past that could explain her current behavior possibly leading to feel pity, Jefferies does not allow it. This is a bully who is cruel for enjoyment. As Viola, Constance Shulman creates a beaten down woman who lost confidence and assertiveness long ago. I was torn between wanting to yell at her to get some gumption and to pity her. Gus Birney is brilliant as Sarah Nell. She is by turns naïve, childlike, and then mature and determined. Her aspirations are endearing and her insecurities make you sympathetic.
Edward Hoke plays Blaze, Sarah Nell’s boyfriend; it is the least developed role and the costume by Alejo Vietti emphasizes his superficial persona. Yet Hoke lets us see his insecurities and his determination. He isn’t a cardboard cowboy.
Tim Mackabee’s set design is wonderful; we see this deserted, typical small town luncheonette clutter with things on walls, shelves, and on the counters. Lighting designer Jiyoun Chang created the illusion of fireworks effectively in a subtle way.
This is a play about anger, how the world today operates, and the people who are perennially left out. A flaw of the play is Larimore’s determination to hammer home his points, not trusting the audience to understand.
You will leave the theater shaken, with perhaps a grain of hope, and perhaps a pessimistic view of the world.
The Cannibals of McGower County runs through Sunday, Aug. 20. Tickets are available at TWHartford.org.
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