Crimes of the Heart Tickets

Crimes of the Heart Tickets

If you're looking for Crimes of the Heart tickets, you're planning an evening with Beth Henley's Pulitzer Prize-winning Southern tragicomedy — a character-driven play celebrated for its blend of dark humor, emotional honesty, and unforgettable sisterhood. First seen at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in 1979 and later on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre, the play has become a landmark work of American drama.

This page covers everything you need — from what the show is and what to expect, to finding the right seats and buying with complete confidence.

Show Information

Crimes of the Heart is an original play by Beth Henley, first premiering in 1979 at the Actors Theatre of Louisville as part of the Humana Festival of New American Plays. After a 1980 Off-Broadway run at the Manhattan Theatre Club, the Broadway production opened on November 4, 1981, at the John Golden Theatre in New York, directed by Melvin Bernhardt.

The play is a Southern comedy-drama, often described as a Southern Gothic tragicomedy, centered on the MaGrath sisters and set in a single kitchen in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Crimes of the Heart is no longer running on Broadway, but it remains a frequent title for regional, community, and educational theaters across the United States. The production typically runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes and is often performed with one intermission.

Crimes of the Heart won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama before it opened on Broadway, becoming the first play by a woman to win the Pulitzer for Drama in more than two decades. It also received the 1981 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play, earned a 1982 Tony Award nomination for Best Play, and brought Beth Henley a Tony nomination for the script. The original Broadway run lasted 535 performances, and Henley later adapted the play for the 1986 film directed by Bruce Beresford, starring Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, and Sissy Spacek.

If you're searching for Crimes of the Heart tickets or want to check the current Crimes of the Heart show schedule, Box Office Ticket Sales carries inventory across available regional, community, educational, and touring-style productions.

Story Summary

Crimes of the Heart takes place in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, in the autumn of 1974, five years after Hurricane Camille. The story brings together the three MaGrath sisters at their grandfather's house after the youngest sister, Babe Botrelle, shoots her abusive husband. As Babe faces the legal and emotional consequences of what happened, her sisters Lenny and Meg return to the family kitchen, where old tensions and long-buried hurts begin to surface.

Lenny, the eldest, has spent much of her life caring for others while quietly carrying her own loneliness. Meg, the middle sister, comes home from Hollywood with the disappointment of a failed singing career behind her. Babe, fragile and impulsive, becomes the center of a crisis that exposes the family's history of pain, loss, and survival. Around them are Chick Boyle, the sisters' judgmental cousin; Barnette Lloyd, Babe's earnest young lawyer; and Doc Porter, Meg's former sweetheart.

The play is known for turning moments of despair into startling comedy without losing sight of the characters' pain. Its themes — family bonds, sisterhood, resilience, forgiveness, loneliness, and the search for connection — stand fully on their own, so no prior familiarity is needed for the story to land with clarity and emotional force.

Story Highlights

Crimes of the Heart is filled with intimate, character-defining moments that reveal why the play remains such a beloved showcase for actors and audiences alike.

• "Babe's Confession" — Babe's explanation of why she shot her husband delivers one of the play's clearest examples of its tragicomic tone. Her deadpan line, “I didn't like his looks,” turns a shocking revelation into a moment of absurd humor.
• "The Birthday Scene" — The sisters gather around a cake as Lenny finally celebrates a birthday she believed had been forgotten. It is one of the play's most tender and uplifting moments, giving warmth to a story surrounded by crisis.
• "Meg's Return" — Meg's arrival from Hollywood brings both glamour and disappointment into the MaGrath kitchen. As details of her failed singing career emerge, the play reveals the gap between youthful dreams and adult realities.
• "Babe's Lemonade Scene" — After a suicide attempt turns darkly comic when the oven will not cooperate, Babe's moment becomes both unsettling and strangely funny. The scene crystallizes the play's ability to place heartbreak and comedy side by side.
• "The Sisters' Laughing Fit" — In the middle of crisis, the three sisters dissolve into uncontrollable laughter. The moment becomes cathartic, showing how their bond helps them survive grief, scandal, and emotional chaos.

Other Theater Shows You Might Like

If Crimes of the Heart is your kind of show, the following productions tend to appeal to the same audience — character-driven dramas, Southern stories, family conflict, dark humor, and emotionally rich ensemble work.

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How Much Do Tickets to Crimes of the Heart Cost?

Crimes of the Heart ticket prices vary by seat location, performance date, venue size, and whether the production is staged by a regional, community, educational, or touring-style theater.

Crimes of the Heart ticket prices vary based on venue, city, seat location, date, and performance time. Premium orchestra and front sections are in high demand, while rear and upper-level sections offer excellent value.

Pricing can move based on weekend versus weeknight performances, local demand, cast visibility, and how popular a particular theater's run becomes. Buying earlier typically gives you a stronger selection of orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony options before the best-value seats are purchased.

No hidden fees. At Box Office Ticket Sales, the price you see is the price you pay. All fees are shown before checkout — no surprise charges when you reach the final step.

How to Buy Crimes of the Heart Tickets

Getting your Crimes of the Heart tickets through BoxOfficeTicketSales.com is fast and straightforward. Here's how the process works:

• Browse Crimes of the Heart performances — Search for Crimes of the Heart tickets and select the city, venue, and date that work for your schedule
• Pick your seats — Use the interactive seating map to compare sections, rows, views, and real-time pricing side by side
• Secure checkout — Pay with a credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Affirm for flexible payment options
• Receive your tickets — Digital tickets are delivered to your email or mobile wallet before the show, ready to scan at the theater entrance

Every order is backed by our 100% verified ticket guarantee and on-time delivery promise. Once your order is confirmed, you'll receive an email with your invoice and everything you need before curtain time.

Crimes of the Heart Seating Guide

Crimes of the Heart is frequently staged in traditional theater venues, from intimate regional spaces to larger proscenium houses. Because the play is built around dialogue, facial expression, and close character interaction in the MaGrath family kitchen, where you sit can shape how closely you connect with the performances.

Best Seats for Crimes of the Heart

For a dialogue-driven play like Crimes of the Heart, the best seats balance proximity with a clear view of the full stage picture.

• Best value: Upper mezzanine or rear orchestra sections — These areas often provide a strong overall view of the kitchen set and ensemble staging while keeping pricing more accessible.
• Closest to the stage: Front orchestra sections — Sitting close gives you the strongest view of facial expressions, pauses, and subtle character work that drive the play's humor and heartbreak.
• Best overall experience: Mid-orchestra or front mezzanine sections — These seats usually offer the best balance of closeness, sightline, and perspective, making them a strong choice for first-time viewers.
• For groups: Coordinate contiguous seats early, since blocks in popular sections can sell through quickly, especially for weekend performances or short regional runs.

Crimes of the Heart Seating Chart

You can view an interactive seating map for Crimes of the Heart performances directly on BoxOfficeTicketSales.com while browsing available listings. The map lets you compare sections, check row depth and distance from the stage, and see real-time pricing for what's currently available — all before committing to a purchase.

Can I See Where My Seats Are?

Yes. The interactive seat map on BoxOfficeTicketSales.com shows your exact section and row placement before you buy. Use it to understand your angle to the stage, your distance from the front, and whether you're in the orchestra, mezzanine, or balcony — so the seats you choose match exactly what you're looking for before the curtain rises.

Getting Ready for Show Night

Once your tickets are confirmed, a little preparation makes the full experience run smoothly from arrival through the final bow.

• Download your tickets before you leave. Cell service around the theater can be congested on busy performance nights. Save your tickets to your phone's wallet or screenshot them before heading out so you're ready at the door without needing a signal.
• Charge your phone fully. Digital ticketing is standard at most theaters. A portable battery pack is worth having, especially if you're combining the show with dinner or other activities.
• Arrive at least 30 minutes before curtain. Theater doors open well before the show begins; arriving early gives you time to find your seats and settle in before the house lights go down — and avoids the disruption of late seating, which many theaters restrict.
• Plan for the intermission. Crimes of the Heart typically includes one intermission, and lines for concessions and restrooms often build immediately after the act break.
• Know the venue's phone and photography policy. Audiences are asked not to photograph or record during the performance, so silence your phone and keep it put away once the show begins.
• For families. Crimes of the Heart contains mature themes, including suicide, attempted murder, and adult situations, and is generally suited to teen and adult audiences.

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Crimes of the Heart is one of the most consistently in-demand productions in live theater, and weekend performances, short regional runs, and strong local markets sell through fast. The best-value listings disappear first. If you have a specific date or city in mind, acting sooner gets you better seats at better prices. Browse Crimes of the Heart tickets now and lock in your seats before inventory tightens.

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