| . | 01/31/2010
True West
By: Dr. Dorothy Marcic
Brionne Davis (Lee) and Ryan Spahn (Austin)
Photographer: Bitten By A Zebra
Revivals of well-known plays by respected playwrights are a challenge under any circumstance. Consider last year’s failed American Buffalo by David Mamet. Comparisons are made with former successful productions and weaknesses can seem exaggerated under such circumstances. So the Athena Theatre Company’s recent and short production of Sam Shepard’s True West faced many obstacles. Because it was only one weekend, there was no chance for the actors to deeply inhabit the roles, and the play seemed to be done on the cheap. Such a strategy is often necessary for new plays and can work marvelously, but one treads on dangerous ground doing so in a revival, especially when the purpose of the limited run is to find producers and investors, as stated in the press materials of this production.
True West is the story of two brothers, holed up at their mother’s suburban Los Angeles house while she vacations in Alaska. Brother Austin is a screenwriter, a man with a family “up north” somewhere, while, Lee, is a shady, small-time thief, who hopes to break into homes in the neighborhood. Both brothers admit to sibling jealousy when younger, and Lee continues with his with new aspirations of writing a screenplay. He manipulates Austin’s producer into gambling and wins the right to have his idea made into a movie, essentially pushing aside the deal Austin had made. Most of the play concerns the conflict between the two brothers, the “good” brother and the “bad” brother.” And while Lee tries to become a writer, Austin dabbles in thievery, stealing the neighbors’ toasters. Though numerous writers have tried to argue that each brother allegorically represents a part of what is now “the west,” Shepard himself discounts such conclusions. “I wanted to write a play about double nature,” he says. “One that wouldn't be symbolic or metaphorical or any of that stuff. I just wanted to give a taste of what it feels like to be two-sided. It's a real thing, double nature. I think we're split in a much more devastating way than psychology can ever reveal.” Most of the play is about the two sides battling with each other, with a violent, deathly fight at the end. Their mother arrives home early, just about this time, and gets frustrated with the fracas and leaves, saying, “There’s plenty of room outside to fight.” But they keep at it until one seems dead. Or is he?
Shepard’s plays often rely on sharp dialogue, pregnant pauses and emotional connections—or the inability to create them--between characters, rather than intricate plots. Therefore having talented, adequately rehearsed actors is crucial. It’s not clear whether director Jen Forcino didn’t cast well or rehearse enough, but the some of the actors were wanting. Brionne Davis was remarkable as the ADHD Lee, who is always waiting for the proverbial ship to come in, but Ryan Spahn, as the quietly anxious Austin, was uneven. The first act has a lot of pauses in them, particularly for Austin, but unlike Shepard’s Ages of the Moon, now playing at the Atlantic, this production’s pauses were awkward and uncomfortable, making Act I seem to drag on forever. Also, one did not get the underlying subtext of the emotional baggage these two brothers had to be carrying. Spahn did much better is Act II, as the pace of the sparring increased. Shawn Shafner as the producer, Saul, was quite decent, but Ann Farthing as the mother left much to be desired. Her entrance near the end landed the production in sitcom land. The original play calls for a “small woman,” but Farthing is nowhere close. But one can live with that. Her acting was somewhere between the wife on the cartoon “Family Guy” and Charlie Sheen in “Two-and-a-Half Men.” Just as the play was arriving at the emotional tone and pacing that made it very satisfying, Mom arrived and flattened the cake, blunting what was moving towards an electrifying ending. Instead, we got a two wires shorted out.
Set design by Stefan Depner was quite good, especially considering the scale of the production. Susan Voelker’s costumes were all right, though Lee’s dirty and ragged look was compelling. Ross Graham’s Lighting could have been better. Some scenes were barely lit, and although this was likely intended for some dramatic purpose, it ended up being distracting.
Forcino’s True West had such great potential, but needed a stronger acting in the first act and better casting for Mom, whose entrance diluted the wonderfully building tension between the brothers at the end. However, as a showcase the production did surprisingly well.
Athena Theater, Theater Row
Closed, with only one weekend of performances.
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