![\"Unconventional](\"https:\/\/lamesacourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/crimes.jpg\")
<\/a>One reason why Hadlock is so excited for audiences to see the La Mesa production is because of the performances in the play. \u201cI have an ideal cast,\u201d he said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t ask for a better cast than the one I have.\u201d<\/p>\n Both McAfee and Racic find their flawed characters amusing and unique.<\/p>\n McAfee\u2019s goal for her performance is to not make her goodhearted and glum character too pitiful. She wants Lenny to come across as a strong person, and appear to grow stronger as the evening progresses.<\/p>\n Meg is just as complex of a character, which partially owes to her wild mood swings. \u201cShe has tendencies to be all over the place, due to her emotions,\u201d Racic said. \u201cI have to depict her changing personality, while still making her lovable in some way.\u201d<\/p>\n Both performers enjoy exploring all the different aspects about the sisters, thanks to Hadlock\u2019s direction. Racic, in particular, appreciates how prepared Hadlock has been. \u201cHe\u2019s very organized, which I love,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve never been able to compartmentalize a play the way he does.\u201d<\/p>\n While Racic hasn\u2019t acted in many plays recently, McAfee has collaborated with Hadlock numerous times over the past several years. She respects the different questions he asks his performers, including, for instance, the motivation behind characters\u2019 actions. This can apply to something as simple as walking to another part of the stage.<\/p>\n What carries a lot of the plot is the loving and dysfunctional connection between the siblings.<\/p>\n For McAfee, one of the biggest challenges in rehearsals has been to make Lenny\u2019s relationships with her sisters feel believable. \u201cThe other stars and I have to act like we\u2019ve known each other for a few decades,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Hadlock also feels that the conversations can be tricky, particularly as the MaGrath clan\u2019s discussions are sometimes tense. \u201cThey fight throughout the entire play,\u201d he said. \u201cYet, there is love behind every single argument.\u201d<\/p>\n Tonal shifts occur suddenly in the show with situations that range from hilarious and hopeful to intense and potentially tragic. Hadlock wants the narrative to be authentic.<\/p>\n The director can relate to Henley\u2019s prose, because he has four brothers and three sisters. \u201cWhen we all get together, it is a hodgepodge of emotions,\u201d he said. \u201cThe same thing happens in this play.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>