Venture Theatre is presenting the Tony Award-winning Irish play "The Beauty Queen of Leenane,'' beginning tonight and running through Nov. 14.

The play is an alarming blend of hysterical comedy, grand melodrama and heart-wrenching tragedy. Robert Wood, artistic director at Venture, said "Beauty Queen" is one of the edgiest and most psychologically complex productions Venture has ever attempted.

"Venture's mission includes challenging the audience with contemporary work, embracing the full range of human emotion, however dark. ... The story will take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster of a family strained to the limits," Wood said.

The play is set in 1989 in the small village of Leenane (pronounced leh-nan) in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, and centers on the life of Maureen Folan, a 40-year-old virgin who is the sole caregiver to her 70-year-old mother, Mag. Two sisters have escaped into marriage and family life, but Maureen, with a history of mental illness, is trapped in a small, bleak cottage and in an overly dependent, seriously dysfunctional relationship with her mother.

"The Beauty Queen of Leenane" rocketed playwright Martin McDonagh to fame at age 25 when it opened in England in 1996. In 1998, McDonagh became the first playwright since William Shakespeare to have four of his plays produced professionally in London in a single season. A school dropout, McDonagh wrote "Beauty Queen" in just eight days.

"Beauty Queen" is directed by Jared Siess and features Sondra Baker as Mag Folan, Sarah Hom as Maureen Folan, Tyler McKinley as Ray Dooley, and Shawn Bettise as Pato Dooley. Wood said the cast does an amazing job of embodying this dark, comic story.

"The Beauty Queen of Leenane" takes place in the Black Box Theatre at Venture. Tickets are $16. The show has the equivalent of an R rating and is not suitable for children. Call Venture for show times or tickets at 591-9535 or visit www.venturetheatre.org.