BUCHANAN — Buckle up — the latest production to debut on the Tin Shop Theatre stage promises to be a comedic but emotional roller coaster, as actors perform Tracy Letts’ “August: Osage County.”

The play opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Following shows will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 4 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Friday Sept. 14 and Saturday, Sept. 15 and 4 p.m. Sept. 16.

This 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner for best play takes place at a Midwestern home on an estate in Oklahoma. Here, the Weston family’s children have returned after the disappearance of their father, Beverly Weston, a world-class poet and alcoholic, played by Dave Wood, of Bridgman.

At home, three returning sisters must reconcile with their pill-popping mother, Violet Weston, who is played by Alexandria Luttke. Each of these characters also harbors their own destructive secrets and equally dysfunctional lovers.

Due to the adult content and some foul language, the play is not advised for those under 16.

While a play with this type of content is not something audiences would typically see at the Tin Shop Theatre, director August Garritano said he wanted to bring something different to the local stage.

“I like to push the envelope,” Garritano said. “It is an amazing show. It’s a Tony-Award winning show. I don’t think … the [strong] language and the content of the show should prohibit a theater from doing it.”

Garritano said he likes to see local theaters taking risks and discussing tougher subjects to which many families can relate.

He said one of the biggest challenges was transforming the stage into a three-story house, but Tin Shop crew members came through, changing the small stage into a typical Midwestern home with a fairly hardy liquor cabinet, which plays its own role in the play.

For assistant director Kelly Carlin, there are a number of messages the audience can take away from the dramatic comedy. If anything, it will in the very least be entertaining, she said.

“It is a rollercoaster,” Carlin said. “One minute you are laughing at something and the next you are totally shocked out of the laughter. It’s basically like the dark side of a Midwestern family.”

While Carlin is normally seen from the sidelines, helping to direct young actors, for this play Carlin will also have the chance to have a part in the show and will play the role of Barbara Fordham.

Both Garritano and Carlin said the more mature topics and dramatic story line presented an opportunity to feature veteran actors across Michiana. There are 14 actors in the play, many with years of experience who were eager for the opportunity to have a role in the production.

Wood is one such actor. On Wednesday evening, Wood practiced the role of Beverly, the troubled poet, on stage. Swigging from a glass of whiskey (iced tea) Woods opens the play with an ominous monologue that gives the audience an inside look at the emotional struggle he is facing. The scene is laced with a bit of humor when Violet comes stumbling in and begins to swear. Woods later chuckles with irony when he shares that Violet is also battling mouth cancer. While the role is a small one, Wood said it is the driving force that brings the family and all their emotional baggage together.

Though he acted in theaters around Michiana for years, this is Wood’s first performance at the Tin Shop theater.

Tickets cost $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and $5 for children. Tickets can be purchased at the door. The Tin Shop is located at Roe Street.

When Wood takes to the stage Friday night, he said there are a few messages that should resonate with the audience. But for him, one thing stands out.

“Even the most dysfunctional families are still family,” Wood said. “At the end of the day, we are still families.”