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Overview
Synopsis
Sibling rivalry takes center stage in Sam Shepard’s gritty character study. Estranged brothers Austin and Lee have reconnected at their mother’s house in the Southern California desert. With their mother in Alaska, Austin is working on a promising screenplay and trying to ignore his alcoholic, criminally inclined brother. When Lee sabotages Austin’s movie deal to secure his own lucrative offer, the brothers confront the reality that they are more like each other than they thought. Like many of Shepard’s plays, there’s a slowly boiling tension underscoring True West that rises to a violent climax. Considered Shepard’s signature play, True West is a challenging star vehicle for two strong actors who can master the subtext and psychological complexities of the characters.
Show Information
- Book
- Sam Shepard
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1980
- Genres
- Drama, Dark Comedy
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- A home in Southern California, 1980s
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Adult, Mature Adult Characters
Context
Considered Sam Shepard’s signature masterpiece, True West premiered on July 10, 1980 at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, where Shepard was a resident playwright. Robert Woodruff directed Peter Coyote and Jim Haynie in the lead roles. Shepard wanted to write a play about “double nature” and the devastating ways people can be two-sided.
The production opened off-Broadway at The Public Theater in December 1980 with Tommy Lee Jones and Peter Boyle. In 1982, Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre
to read the context for True West and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
Scene One
At his mother’s house in the California desert, Austin tries to write and ignore distractions from his older brother, Lee. Austin is looking after the house while their mother is in Alaska. Lee plans to “make a little tour” of the houses in the neighborhood, but Austin tries to talk him out of it and offers to give him some money. Infuriated, Lee lunges at Austin violently. Austin suggests he sleep, but Lee insists he doesn’t sleep.
Scene Two
The next morning, Lee
to read the plot for True West and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Kevan Dunkelberg
Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright