It’s all familial turmoil at barebones productions with their current production of Sam Shepard’s dra-medy, True West. The Pulitzer Prize winning play focuses on a sibling rivalry between two estranged brothers, and the pent-up emotions they feel for each other, their family, and the current state of their lives. While barebones’ production is a bit sluggish and not always sure-footed, they find their stride with their main leads who are able to capture the audience and the essence of the story.
Gabriel King (L) and Patrick Jordan as the feuding brothers
For the first time in five years, estranged brothers Austin and Lee spend time together while house sitting for their mother. The two are not on good terms, and have a lot of tension built up between them. Austin, a screenwriter, attempts to write his latest project while Lee, a professional thief and vagabond, tries to convince Austin and a Hollywood producer that he has a great idea for an American Western movie. When Austin’s boss becomes taken with Lee’s idea that subsequently makes Austin lose his project, a new rift forms between the brothers, bringing up past traumas and current anxieties.
What struck me at first with this production was the venue itself. Performed in the barebones Black Box Theater, the venue provides an intimate experience. To get to and from your seats you have to walk through the set, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It gave me a chance to see everything up close and made me feel like I was a part of the action. The set looked right out of Disney’s Carousel of Progress, but unfortunately featured no revolving stage. Set Designer, Tony Ferrieri did an excellent job of creating a functioning-looking and greatly detailed home for the small space. The set provided the actors with a great space to work with, and fully enhanced the show and overall experience.
There are an awful lot of props in this show, and I shudder to think of the process of not only acquiring it all, but having to keep track of it throughout the show’s run. There is a scene in Act Two where Austin comes upon a large number of toasters, which results in a large quantity of toast to be made. As the show progresses the home becomes more and more unkempt, resulting in beer cans and garbage galore to litter the stage. I have to say, it did look fun watching the crew spread the garbage from one end of the stage to the other, but, again it must have been an anxiety-ridden feat to get to that point. So to Prop Master, Rikkilee Rose, I salute you.
Patrick Jordan and Gabriel King
True West features a small cast, with Gabriel King and Patrick Jordan at the helm as Austin and Lee. Jordan takes on double duty with this production as actor and the show’s director. He delivers a wonderful performance playing the eldest brother, Lee. He is able to make Lee threatening, relatable, and sympathetic all at the same time. His was probably my favorite performance of the cast, as I feel he brought a lot of soul to the part. Even though Lee is just a character, Jordan is really able to show this man’s struggles and inner turmoil through his performance. For King, who played Austin, it took until Act Two to see him come into the role, but once he finds his stride he delivers a very enjoyable performance. His strong suit is being able to switch between the comedic and dramatic moments of the show. King and Jordan have great chemistry, and work well off one another. They truly made the production a unique one, and make the show shine.
While the show has its merits, I found the production to be a tad clunky and sluggish at times. I think the issues can be traced to the pacing of the show. The first act is rather slow, whereas the second act seems to go from 0-100 quickly. The stage direction was also a hit or miss. The actors either seemed awkward in what they were doing, or they owned it and were utterly confident. I feel the Mom and Hollywood producer characters didn’t add much to the show, and I would’ve much rather watched the brothers for the entirety of the play–but I suppose that’s more an issue with the material itself than anything.
barebones’ production of True West hit a few bumps in the road that stopped it from being a completely solid production, but overall was still enjoyable. The lead actors deliver great performances, and it’s clear there’s a ton of love and effort that went into this production that definitely makes it worth checking out.
True West plays at the barebones Black Box Theater in Braddock through September 29. For tickets and more, visit their site.
Jade Goodes is a graduate of Penn State University where she received her degree in English. While attending Penn State she became the Managing Editor for the school’s literary & arts magazine, Absence. Jade has been involved with the Pittsburgh theater community since elementary school, and has performed in many productions over the years. In her free time she enjoys reading and attending all the concerts she can.
Categories: Archived Reviews