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Crimes of the Heart
The scene is Hazlehurst, Mississippi, where the three Magrath sisters have gathered to await news of the family patriarch, their grandfather, who is living out his last hours in the local hospital. Lenny, the oldest sister, is unmarried at thirty and facing diminishing marital prospects; Meg, the middle sister, who quickly outgrew Hazlehurst, is back after a failed singing career on the West Coast; while Babe, the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her husband in the stomach. Their troubles, grave and yet, somehow, hilarious, are highlighted by their priggish cousin, Chick, and by the awkward young lawyer who tries to keep Babe out of jail while helpless not to fall in love with her. In the end the play is the story of how its young characters escape the past to seize the future but the telling is so true and touching and consistently hilarious that it will linger in the mind long after the curtain has descended.
105 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
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About the author
Beth Henley
60 books25 followersElizabeth Becker "Beth" Henley is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actress. Her play Crimes of the Heart won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 1981 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play, and a nomination for a Tony Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
February 7, 2017
In 1980 Beth Henley won the Pulitzer Prize for drama for her Crimes of the Heart, a three act character study about three sisters in small town Mississippi. Combined with Marsha Norman's Pulitzer for 'night, mother, Henley helped to usher in a new era for southern women's play writing. A compelling play with five distinct characters, Crimes of the Heart is memorable drama.
Lenora "Lenny" McGrath is thirty and unmarried and living in her grandparents' Hazelhurst, Mississippi home. Brought up by her grandparents following her mother's suicide, as the only unmarried sister, Lenny feels that it is her duty to care for her aging grandfather. Even though she is just thirty and in the prime of her life, Lenny appears worn down by her years, acting as though she is in her fifties rather than her thirties. Caring for her grandfather as well as dealing with rumors about both her sisters in a small town where everyone knows each other's business has aged her emotionally well beyond her years. To top that off, she must constantly deal with her first cousin Chick, a busy body who enjoys putting everyone in their place.
While Lenny attempts to hold the family together, middle sister Meg has returned home amid rumors about their youngest sister Babe. Both sisters have dealt with their share of issues in life, and, in their mid twenties, neither appears stable. Meg was supposed to be a star singer in Hollywood but could never handle breaking up with her boyfriend Doc, and on her return home, her life appears to be in disarray. Yet, Meg's shortcomings are nothing to Babe's. Married to Zackary Bardette, Hazelhurst's top lawyer and senator, Babe is often lonely and in need of emotional acceptance. Starting an affair with fifteen year old Willie Jim, a colored boy, eventually leads Babe to shoot her husband and the town to start talking. Ironically, it is Meg who comforts Babe in this desperate hour and leads her out of immediate legal trouble.
Henley has created three strong, yet emotional unstable characters in Lenny, Meg, and Babe. Each sister has faced her share of hardships during her life, most notably the emotional baggage of their mother's suicide from which none has completely recovered twenty years later. Coping in their own way by becoming a caregiver, running away, or marrying the town bigwig, each sister deals with the loss of their parents uniquely. The entire three act play occurs in Lenny's kitchen, adding to the suspense of the moment. The room can be entered or exited from four directions, so one does not know where the action will come from next. Due to the nature of the set, Henley has written some asides and notes, but leaves the rest of off stage action for the audience to speculate about. This setting combined with the strong characters has created a strong drama, worthy of its accolades.
On the heals of its Pulitzer, Crimes of the Heart was nominated for the Tony award in 1982. A poignant character piece taking place in small town Mississippi, it is a play that I will remember for a long time. Between Lenny, Meg, and Babe, the three women run the gamut of human emotions, creating a powerful drama that merited its Pulitzer. Although not at the level of some of the other Pulitzer winning plays I have read recently, Crimes of the Heart is a southern gritty play, which I highly recommend and rate 4 stars.
Lenora "Lenny" McGrath is thirty and unmarried and living in her grandparents' Hazelhurst, Mississippi home. Brought up by her grandparents following her mother's suicide, as the only unmarried sister, Lenny feels that it is her duty to care for her aging grandfather. Even though she is just thirty and in the prime of her life, Lenny appears worn down by her years, acting as though she is in her fifties rather than her thirties. Caring for her grandfather as well as dealing with rumors about both her sisters in a small town where everyone knows each other's business has aged her emotionally well beyond her years. To top that off, she must constantly deal with her first cousin Chick, a busy body who enjoys putting everyone in their place.
While Lenny attempts to hold the family together, middle sister Meg has returned home amid rumors about their youngest sister Babe. Both sisters have dealt with their share of issues in life, and, in their mid twenties, neither appears stable. Meg was supposed to be a star singer in Hollywood but could never handle breaking up with her boyfriend Doc, and on her return home, her life appears to be in disarray. Yet, Meg's shortcomings are nothing to Babe's. Married to Zackary Bardette, Hazelhurst's top lawyer and senator, Babe is often lonely and in need of emotional acceptance. Starting an affair with fifteen year old Willie Jim, a colored boy, eventually leads Babe to shoot her husband and the town to start talking. Ironically, it is Meg who comforts Babe in this desperate hour and leads her out of immediate legal trouble.
Henley has created three strong, yet emotional unstable characters in Lenny, Meg, and Babe. Each sister has faced her share of hardships during her life, most notably the emotional baggage of their mother's suicide from which none has completely recovered twenty years later. Coping in their own way by becoming a caregiver, running away, or marrying the town bigwig, each sister deals with the loss of their parents uniquely. The entire three act play occurs in Lenny's kitchen, adding to the suspense of the moment. The room can be entered or exited from four directions, so one does not know where the action will come from next. Due to the nature of the set, Henley has written some asides and notes, but leaves the rest of off stage action for the audience to speculate about. This setting combined with the strong characters has created a strong drama, worthy of its accolades.
On the heals of its Pulitzer, Crimes of the Heart was nominated for the Tony award in 1982. A poignant character piece taking place in small town Mississippi, it is a play that I will remember for a long time. Between Lenny, Meg, and Babe, the three women run the gamut of human emotions, creating a powerful drama that merited its Pulitzer. Although not at the level of some of the other Pulitzer winning plays I have read recently, Crimes of the Heart is a southern gritty play, which I highly recommend and rate 4 stars.
September 16, 2019
Crimes of the Heart, the 1981 Pulitzer prize winning play from Beth Henley was also nominated for the 1982 Tony Award for a Broadway musical.
A later film adaptation featured Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek. At one level this seems like a family version of Sartre’s No Exit, as each character seemed to have created her own hell that was made worse by complex interactions with the others.
A better study, though, shows the strong, resilient endurance by the sisters and their ability to come together and overcome “bad days”. Another strength of the play itself is the rich history that Henley has created through the narrow lens of the dialogue. Almost like a focused perspective, we learn about characters not in the play but whose actions and influence paint indelible marks on the McGrath sisters, especially the shadow of their mother’s suicide and the oppressive tyranny of Old Grandaddy.
Set in Mississippi, this is a Southern family that is reborn from the past, struggling to find a new way.
Excellent.
A later film adaptation featured Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek. At one level this seems like a family version of Sartre’s No Exit, as each character seemed to have created her own hell that was made worse by complex interactions with the others.
A better study, though, shows the strong, resilient endurance by the sisters and their ability to come together and overcome “bad days”. Another strength of the play itself is the rich history that Henley has created through the narrow lens of the dialogue. Almost like a focused perspective, we learn about characters not in the play but whose actions and influence paint indelible marks on the McGrath sisters, especially the shadow of their mother’s suicide and the oppressive tyranny of Old Grandaddy.
Set in Mississippi, this is a Southern family that is reborn from the past, struggling to find a new way.
Excellent.
December 19, 2021
A very gripping read-in-one-sitting play that highlights the way in which three sisters hold up in the face of crisis, bagging all the while a very traumatic experience that involved the death of their mother.
January 22, 2008
Loved this play. That I played Lenny in our community theatre production of the show didn't hurt my love of it. ;-) It really is a heartwarming story of three sisters each dealing with their own personal demons and issues brought on by how they were treated when they were growing up. Although it appears to be stereotypically southern in humor and behavior, there is a depth,honesty and truth that underlies the relationships portrayed in this story/play..
October 3, 2016
On the one hand: damn, this is a fantastically written play. It's what my lighting mentor J dislikes most in plays: emotion-driven plot about women. A++. It does interesting stuff with class and gender - the two men who come onsstage are not the most important men in the plot, really: the director of the GEDS production described those more important men as 'forces of nature' offstage that the female protags have to deal with.
However.
However.
One of those 'forces of nature' is a fifteen year old black boy having an affair with an older white woman, who gets next to no say in his fate (which is determined by a white dude), and who is treated as an adult - and a sexually exciting one - by the women who discuss him.
We did this play in partnership with the US Mission and some UN gender program, and there was a special Q&A on Thursday night. Whole room full of Americans (except on stage, actually - two Aussies in a six-person cast!), and NO ONE brought this up. No one pointed out the racist elephant in the wings.
Folks, its 2016 and african-american boys get shot in the street because they're deemed adult and threatening, and you don't have *any* qualms about this play doing the same thing AND ensuring he never comes on stage or speaks AND sexualising a CHILD? No one noticed the white lady protag committed STATUTORY RAPE and the boy was punished for it? Oooohkay then.
However.
However.
One of those 'forces of nature' is a fifteen year old black boy having an affair with an older white woman, who gets next to no say in his fate (which is determined by a white dude), and who is treated as an adult - and a sexually exciting one - by the women who discuss him.
We did this play in partnership with the US Mission and some UN gender program, and there was a special Q&A on Thursday night. Whole room full of Americans (except on stage, actually - two Aussies in a six-person cast!), and NO ONE brought this up. No one pointed out the racist elephant in the wings.
Folks, its 2016 and african-american boys get shot in the street because they're deemed adult and threatening, and you don't have *any* qualms about this play doing the same thing AND ensuring he never comes on stage or speaks AND sexualising a CHILD? No one noticed the white lady protag committed STATUTORY RAPE and the boy was punished for it? Oooohkay then.
September 15, 2025
a beautiful, disturbing, engaging, horrific, hilarious play about three sisters. at no point did i know where it was going, but i also never felt disoriented. this play is structured really well and the jokes never feel totally out of place because the reader/audience truly does live in the world of the characters. would read again, would LOVE to watch this live
July 26, 2007
I've always enjoyed this play, although it's difficult to perform with both humor and genuine emotion. Of course, we ruined it when we performed it in high school - but I still enjoyed the reading. (For the record, I played Meg.)
May 28, 2016
What a great way to spend my morning! I saw a scene from this play performed recently and just had to read the play. Hilarious, heart-wrenching, and more hilarious. I'd love to see the whole play performed.
March 1, 2021
well that was a wild ride
July 23, 2019
I want to do this play. It's dark and funny and has really great / complex family dynamics.
March 23, 2015
Crimes of the Heart is a truly tender read about three sisters. Meg, Babe, and Lenny are brought back together when a real life crime drama hits a little too close to home.
Meg the wild child of the sisters returns home after living "the dream" in California. She fled the small town of Hazlehurst, Mississippi in order to become a hit singer. The truth is she has long given up her career as a singer and has just finished an extended stay at the mental hospital.
Lenny the responsible sister has been the caretaker of the family. She takes care of their grandfather and she looks after the youngest sister Babe. Lenny is turning 30 and has had one lover in her lifetime. She gave him up because she feels insecure about her inability to have children.
Babe the sweet baby sister of the three has gotten herself into a bit of trouble. After marrying a wealthy lawyer and doing her best to be the perfect southern wife, she has gotten herself involved with a young African American boy. When her husband find outs, he beats the boy. Babe is so upset by her husband's actions that she shoots him. Before calling for help, she makes her self a glass of lemonade. Then she offers her shot husband a glass before she calls the ambulance.
All three sisters have been branded "crazy" because of the way their mother killed herself. They have carried their pain and the ramifications of their past continue to impact their present life.
Crimes of the Heart is by far one of my favorite plays. I love the journey these sisters take. They all find their way to happiness despite their pasts.
July 22, 2012
So schticky, I love it. Characters sticking heads in ovens because of a bad day, a woman shooting her husband because she didn't like his looks, an inexperienced lawyer claiming to be qualified to take the murder case because of a personal vendetta, characters laughing uncontrollably when they hear horrible news--it's as if this whole play was devised on the spot by a group of actors, and Beth Henley just wrote it all down.
LENNY. Get out of here--
CHICK. Don't you tell me to get out! What makes you think you can order me around? Why, I've had just about my fill of you trashy Magraths and your trashy ways; hanging yourselves in cellars; carrying on with married men; shooting your own husbands!
LENNY. Get out of here--
CHICK. Don't you tell me to get out! What makes you think you can order me around? Why, I've had just about my fill of you trashy Magraths and your trashy ways; hanging yourselves in cellars; carrying on with married men; shooting your own husbands!
February 23, 2019
Three sisters, each one with inner demons from the past deals with them in their own ways. Tender, dramatic and with a little bit of a humor this #play is a good display of three strong and extremely different characters, but at the same time - very connected with the past.
April 5, 2020
Perhaps I would have liked this play a bit more if I had seen it on the stage. The craziness of these 3 sisters from Mississippi felt a little tired to me, a bit too stereotypical, while the problems they were facing were in some cases so serious that the characters' attitudes struck me as incredible - something aped from the late 19th century or from the old TV show "Designing Women" instead of from real life.
Listened to this play via streaming courtesy of LATW website
Listened to this play via streaming courtesy of LATW website
September 5, 2023
Enjoyable theatrical piece involving 3 sisters, a next-door neighbor female cousin, a doctor and a lawyer who is defending the youngest sister who shot and wounded her husband. The sisters are great characters, each one with their own peculiarities, but great roles for actresses to play. Well written and a treat to watch on stage.
April 16, 2024
Crimes of the Heart is a really interesting play that explores the lives of three sisters in the aftermath of one of them shooting her own husband. It's surprisingly funny but it's also a great look at three very complicated women in circumstances more complex than the casual observers in their lives would know. I listened to the LA Theatre Works production, which had great performances that really brought it to life for me. I'll be checking out more of Beth Henley's plays.
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January 18, 2025This did not age well. I enjoy reading Pulitzer Prize winners, but there were a lot of main points I felt were problematic - especially the fact that Babe's "relationship" is statutory rape, and that's not even addressing the racism. I can't speak for how it was originally received, but it's not for me in 2025.
However I do absolutely support that she shot her husband.
However I do absolutely support that she shot her husband.
March 10, 2025
Read this play for my theater class and was greatly surprised! I loved the family dynamics and how fast-paced the plot was. It was one of the more enjoyable plays I've read :)
April 20, 2026
Superrrrr chaotic but so good
May 3, 2020
Since this play is set in my hometown, and the author is from my hometown, I'm probably a little biased. Loved it. Captured the South perfectly.
August 25, 2025
The writing is pithy, charming and touching. These women are a little unhinged in the best way.
September 29, 2019
“So, Babe shot Zackery Botrelle, the richest and most powerful man in all of Hazlehurst, slap in the gut. It’s hard to believe.”
September 15, 2021
Great script - something new every time it was read.
Read
June 15, 2025Cansadas de odiar, de fingir, de mentir, de soportar.
A veces una tiene que coger la escopeta.
A veces una tiene que coger la escopeta.
March 16, 2015
To be fair to Crimes of the Heart, I’m not a fan of dysfunctional family dramas. While I occasionally like them, I mostly find them an overused and overtired ‘genre’ and think American theatre would be stronger if they steered clear of them for at least a decade. Find a new way to be creative, playwrights. And if you must rely on a dysfunctional family, use the dysfunction as a starting point rather than the primary plot.
That’s what I thought Crimes of the Heart was going to do.
The play starts strong. Three sisters – still living under the shadow of their mother’s notorious suicide – reunite after the youngest sister shoots her husband. Despite being about yet another dysfunctional family, it felt like was going to quickly dash off in creative and wonderful directions. But the play stalls, and the result is a story that, perhaps in a nod to some post-modernism, deconstructionist impulse, never escapes the family dynamics or even develops much of a story. It’s talking without much resolution, and much as I hate the rush-rush-rush-constant-action approach of entirely too many Hollywood films, Crimes of the Heart needed some of that mindless adrenaline.
Parts of Crimes of the Heart did grab my attention. Plus, it’s always welcome (and remains too rare) to see female characters as leads and predominately playing against other women. All the same: not recommended.
That’s what I thought Crimes of the Heart was going to do.
The play starts strong. Three sisters – still living under the shadow of their mother’s notorious suicide – reunite after the youngest sister shoots her husband. Despite being about yet another dysfunctional family, it felt like was going to quickly dash off in creative and wonderful directions. But the play stalls, and the result is a story that, perhaps in a nod to some post-modernism, deconstructionist impulse, never escapes the family dynamics or even develops much of a story. It’s talking without much resolution, and much as I hate the rush-rush-rush-constant-action approach of entirely too many Hollywood films, Crimes of the Heart needed some of that mindless adrenaline.
Parts of Crimes of the Heart did grab my attention. Plus, it’s always welcome (and remains too rare) to see female characters as leads and predominately playing against other women. All the same: not recommended.
June 8, 2020
CHICK
Why, I've had just about my fill of you trashy Magraths and your trashy ways; hanging yourselves in cellars; carrying on with married men; shooting your own husbands!
Damn man, this won the Pulitzer Prize? I guess 1981 was a pretty slow theatrical year because this play isn't it...
This play checks off two of my "most hated in stories" boxes: stories that center around toxic white women, and stories that have no resolution. I do not like any of the characters in this play. I get that the family is sorting through a shit ton of trauma, but I found so few redeeming qualities in any of the women that I could not get behind any of them. Like, take Babe for example. Obviously, it's awful that she was getting the pulp beaten out of her by her husband, but she also admits to have sexual relations with a fifteen year old boy. It doesn't quite cancel each other out, but I did feel a lot less kindly towards Babe after that revelation.
There are moments of humor in this play, but they were usually in the form of mean-spirited quips, and so even though I snickered at them, they did nothing to make any of the characters more endearing.
July 26, 2016
This was kind of disappointing. Crimes of the Heart is a pretty widely known play, so I was expecting more from it. But ultimately, very little happens. We don't see how a single things that's mentioned in the play ends up. So it makes me wonder why I read the whole thing or sat through a whole performance. It's not like there's some big lesson about life or mankind at the end of it. It's not like the characters are incredibly crafted like in a Tennesse William's plot-less play. No, this was just a whole lot of nothing with one interesting monologue that everyone and their mom has heard. No thanks.
That being said, I think it would be an okay play to act in or even see performed live. But reading it was not the best.
That being said, I think it would be an okay play to act in or even see performed live. But reading it was not the best.
December 1, 2011
I liked this one. Funny and depressing, all while being wrapped in love, no matter how distorted it gets. The three sisters are great, all different and distinct with great stories. There's a lot of hurt in this play, a lot of unforgiven pain that comes out at the drop of the hat. It was fun reading this and imagining how it would play out on stage, it has great potential to be an amazing show.
It's funny (I cracked up at the Pecan scene) and there's a great levity to the more depressing moments. I like the uncertainty at the end, it end on a high note even though we know it shouldn't.
Recommend.
It's funny (I cracked up at the Pecan scene) and there's a great levity to the more depressing moments. I like the uncertainty at the end, it end on a high note even though we know it shouldn't.
Recommend.
March 24, 2025
I must’ve been dazzled by the Pulitzer when I read this the first time. I can’t fathom why I would give this four stars. Great female characters, but dated and with one extremely racist detail that I can’t get over.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews