Killer Joe, Tracy Letts' dramatic tale of white-trash mayhem, ends its run at Seattle's Empty Space May 19. Performances began April 6. Founding Space artistic director and Empty Space co-founder M. Burke Walker directs.

At the start of Killer Joe, Ansel is sitting around his mobile home, drinking beer and watching TV, while his wife, Sharla, works at Pizza Hut and runs around with her current boyfriend. Domestic bliss is about to change, however, when his lame-brained son Chris ends up on the wrong side of a dope deal gone bad. The solution? Hire a crooked cop/hit man and bump off Mom for her insurance money.

Ian Bell (Dealer's Choice, The Psychic Life of Savages) stars as Ansel with Shelly Reynolds (Reverse Psychology) as Sharla and Printer's Devil company member Matt Ford as Chris. Also in the cast are Jen Taylor as Dottie and Kelly Allen Boulware moving from Shakespeare's Henry V to Lett's title character.

Designing Killer Joe are Peggy MacDonald (sets), Timonty Wratten (lighting) and Nathan Anderson (sound).

Tickets are $28-$20. The Empty Space Theatre is located at 3509 Fremont North. For tickets, call (206) 547-7500. The Empty Space Theatre is on the web at http://www.emptyspace.org. — By Christine Ehren