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True West
By Sam Shepard
Directed by Si Osborne
Produced by redtwist theatre
1044 W. Bryn Mawr
Chicago, IL
Call 773-728-7529, tickets $22 - $27 - $30
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 95 minutes with Intermission
Through May 22, 2005
Intense drama about a journey toward destruction.
Sam Shepard’s signature work, True West, is a controversial piece that unfolds as a primal Cain and Abel black comedy/drama about two starkly opposite brothers. This play helped Gary Sinise and John Malkovich launch Steppenwolf Theatre’s first Broadway remount in 1982. True West is a violent, over-the-top piece that deals with the family curse that haunts two brothers. Redtwist theatre’s production almost gets to Shepard’s intentions.
Shepard gets into the heart of a dysfunctional family where we meet Austin (Johnny Garcia), a successful LA screenwriter house sitting for his mother away on a vacation in Alaska. When Lee (Paul Joseph), the crude petty drunken’ burglar arrives just as Austin is negotiating a major screen writing deal, the chaos begins. The brothers go from tolerating each other to down right physicality as each struggles with their self-image. Their common bond is the strong influence of the dysfunctional father who still haunts the brothers despite his abandonment of the family. The desert looms as the family Mecca.
Lee is a chip of the old block and Austin is trying hard to escape the family curse. When fate twists each brother’s role, we witness the duality of the human personality as Lee transforms into Austin and Austin becomes the scruffy amoral criminal that is Lee. It seems that only when drunk can either brother become honest. And only through physical violence between the siblings can true art be created. Shepard seems to be saying that fighting is essential to the creative struggle. That art does indeed come from chaos.
Paul Joseph was terrific as the wound too tight brother who often has violent displays of raw emotion. Joseph’s display of rage was chilling. The brothers exchange characteristics of fear, anxiety, despair and rage in reverse order.
This riveting play is 95 minutes of strong drama played to the fullest and paced for maximum impact by two capable actors. Johnny Garcia’s laid back style made his transformation harder to believe. This intense drama will shake you to your core as you witness the destruction of the brothers. Sam Shepard’s play may not be for everyone but for those who appreciate a glimpse of a family curse in action, True West delivers a shocking impact. We see how ill-fated dreams and mislaid plans with a clever plot twist. This play is worth a look.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2008
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