True West -- Sam Shepard

In the Intro, his plays noted as dealing with death or betrayal of American dream, decay of national myths, growing mechanization of our lives, search for roots.  An American writer, writing about America, and things that deal with that (I think of like open country, stuff like that.  Not sure how valid that is to his writing, but that's my impression with the language they use to describe him.)
Style changing over his opera?  Borrows like a magpie from many traditions?  Comes from no one tradition, as that's not a thing in America at the time.  Born in Illinois, grew up in Southern California.
Likes rock music.  Embodied in his plays?  Contemporary, harsh, jumpy.  But other musical styles relevant.  He says they're as important as the speech.
Impatience with time for NOT happening all at once like space.  Impatience with space for having limits, contours and finality.  That is integral in his stage presence?

John Cage says "Theatre exists all around us, and it is the purpose of formal theatre to remind us that this is so."
And with that, I'm skipping the rest of the introduction, and moving on to the play.



AUSTIN:  Reserved.  Ivy League school.  Writing something by candlelight, probably a screenplay.  Has a family.  Surprisingly welcoming to his brother despite perhaps criminal tendencies.  Wants to spend time with Lee, or so he says.  Jealous of Lee's ability to have adventures and take risks?

LEE:  Drunk.  Resentful of his brother's intelligence?  Talent?  Is he a thief?  Austin seems to know that he is.  "Invites himself to fancy houses"

SAUL KIMMER:  Energetic.  Enthusiastic.  Polite to Lee.  Seems to be understanding of Austin's plight.

MOM:



The chasing of the two men in Lee's screenplay.  Is that perhaps metaphoric for him and Lee?

Switched roles with Act II.  Thief -> screenwriter.  Screenwriter -> thief.




Interesting how you share Austin's incredulity in Scene 5 (where Lee is saying Saul liked his screenplay).  Then I feel it takes a step away from realism when Saul comes in saying he liked it.  Maybe talking about taking risks, etc.  Certainly speaks to ME as a person, as someone who is more of an Austin.


Umm, so this play starts out normal, and goes pretty weird.  Austin goes mad.  Lee was crazy already.  Their mom doesn't care enough to try to fix things, just like Austin didn't really care about Lee's problems to fix them in the beginning.  Ends with an ambiguous cliffhanger, where they're getting ready to fight.  (The intro talked about how they tend to end in the middle of things)  Lee does allude to murdering Austin earlier though...


According to Sam Shepard:
"I wanted to write a play about double nature, 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.  It's not so cute.  Not some little thing we can get over.  It's something we've got to live with.

They switch roles in the middle, but wind up at the same place, right?  Both drunk, weird, bad(?) people.

Monologue:

AUSTIN:  Trying to deal with Lee's news that Saul liked the idea for the screenplay.  Torn between hurt, confused, happy for his brother, and trying to catch him in his lie.  

Possible arc:  Catching in the lie, disbelieving -> Jealous -> Genuine, brotherly.