True West
by Sam Shepard

Name: True West
Brand: Sam Shepard
SKU: 9780573617287
Rating: 3.68 (10940 reviews)

Broadway Off-Broadway West End

Highlights

Small Cast

Female

Male

Present Day Interior Set American Comedy

Awards & Recognition

Drama Desk Award Pulitzer Prize Tony Award

Finalist: 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Nominee: Three 2000 Tony Awards, including Best Play Nominee: Two 2000 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Play

What readers are saying

Readers find 'True West' a compelling exploration of sibling rivalry that combines dark humor with a deep examination of family dynamics. Many appreciate the character development and sharp writing of Sam Shepard, praising the engaging performances and the intense, chaotic nature of the plot. However, some feel that its abstract and sometimes confusing elements can detract from the overall experience.

Engaging character development Sharp, witty dialogue Strong performances Compelling family dynamics Can be confusing at times

Synopsis

Comedy / 3m 1f / Int.

Recently revived at New York's Circle in the Square where Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly alternated playing the roles of the brothers this American classic explores alternatives that might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape.

Sons of a desert dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script.

Austin the achiever is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when Lee a demented petty thief drops in.

He pitch

Press Reviews

"True West has... arguably become Shepard’s signature piece, the leanest, most pointed of his full-length works."
— David Krasner, A Companion to Twentieth Century American Drama

"Shepard’s masterwork... It tells us a truth, as glimpsed by a 37-year-old genius."
— New York Post

"It’s clear, funny, naturalistic. It’s also opaque, terrifying, surrealistic. If that sounds contradictory, you’re on to one aspect of Shepard’s winning genius: the ability to make you think you’re watching one thing while at the same time he’s presenting another."
— San Francisco Chronicle