A Lie of the Mindis aplaywritten bySam Shepard,first staged at the off-Broadway Promenade Theater on 5 December 1985. The play was directed by Shepard himself with starsHarvey Keitelas Jake,Amanda Plummeras Beth,Aidan Quinnas Frankie,Geraldine Pageas Lorraine, andWill Pattonas Mike. The music was composed and played by the North Carolinabluegrassgroup theRed Clay Ramblers.
| A Lie of the Mind | |
|---|---|
 A scene from the play. | |
| Written by | Sam Shepard |
| Characters |
|
| Date premiered | December 5, 1985 |
| Place premiered | Promenade Theater New York City, New York |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Two families torn apart by tragedy |
| Genre | Drama |
Some critics consider the play the conclusion of a quintet that includes Shepard'sFamily Trilogy:Curse of the Starving Class(1976),Buried Child(1979), andTrue West(1980), plusFool for Love(1983).[1]
Plot synopsis
editTold in three acts set in Montana and California, the story alternates between two families after a severe incident of spousal abuse leaves all their lives altered until the final collision at an isolated cabin. The two families are linked by the marriage of Jake (son of Lorraine and brother of Sally and Frankie) and Beth (daughter of Baylor and Meg and sister of Mike). The play begins with Beth recuperating in her parents' home after a hospitalization resulting from Jake's abuse. Exploring family dysfunction and the nature of love, the play follows Jake as he searches for meaning after his relationship with Beth and her family as they struggle with Beth's brain damage.[2]
Production history
editA Lie of the Mindwas first producedOff-Broadwayat the Promenade Theatre on December 5, 1985, closing on June 1, 1986 after 186 performances.[3]
The cast was as follows:[4]
- Baylor -James Gammon
- Jake -Harvey Keitel
- Lorraine -Geraldine Page
- Mike -Will Patton
- Beth -Amanda Plummer
- Frankie -Aidan Quinn
- Meg -Ann Wedgeworth
- Sally -Karen Young
Revival
editThe first major Off-Broadway revival ofA Lie of the Mindwas staged by theNew Groupat the Acorn Theatre.[5][6]Ethan Hawkedirected the production with an ensemble cast featuringKeith Carradine(Baylor),Josh Hamilton(Frankie),Marin Ireland(Beth),Laurie Metcalf(Meg),Alessandro Nivola(Jake),Maggie Siff(Sally),Frank Whaley(Mike), andKaren Young(Lorraine; Sally in the 1985 production).[5][7]The show began previews on January 29, 2010, with a limited engagement from February 18 to March 20, 2010.[6]It was nominated for fiveLucille Lortel Awardsincluding Outstanding Revival,[8]and twoDrama Desk Awards,includingOutstanding Director of a Play.[9]The cast was featured onThe New Yorker's list of the Best Performers of 2010.[10]
A revival in the UK was staged at the Southwark Playhouse in 2017,[11]receiving excellent notices including 5 Stars fromThe Timesof London.[12]
Awards and nominations
edit- 1986Drama Desk Awardfor Outstanding Play
- 1986New York Drama Critics' Circle Awardfor Best Play
- 1986Outer Critics Circle Awardfor Best Off-Broadway Play
- 2010Lucille Lortel Awardsfor Outstanding Revival (nominee)
- 2010 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Director of a Play, Ethan Hawke (nominee)
- 2010 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Music in a Play, Gaines (nominee)
- 2010Obie AwardPerformance, Laurie Metcalf (winner)
References
edit- ^Roudané, Matthew (2002).The Cambridge Companion to Sam Shepard.Cambridge University Press,ISBN9780521777667
- ^PJ Butler (2003-09-21)."A Lie of the Mind: Shattered Parts Are Swept Away".TheaterScene.net.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-02-22.Retrieved2008-09-11.
- ^Rich, Frank (December 6, 1985)."Theater: 'A LIE OF THE MIND,' by Sam Shepard".New York Times.Retrieved24 September2018.
- ^Gary M. Grant (2008)."A Lie of the Mind: Production notes".Bucknell University Theatre and Dance.Archivedfrom the original on 5 September 2008.Retrieved2008-09-08.
- ^abHealy, Patrick (2010-01-27)."New Search for the Truth in 'A Lie'".The New York Times.Retrieved2010-02-11.
- ^abHernandez, Ernio (2010-01-29)."Carradine, Metcalf and Hamilton Lead Starry Cast of Shepard's Lie of the Mind Off-Broadway".Playbill.Archived fromthe originalon 2010-02-02.Retrieved2010-02-11.
- ^Brantley, Ben(2010-02-19)."Theatre Review - 'A Lie of the Mind' - NYTimes.com".The New York Times.Retrieved2010-02-19.
- ^Healy, Patrick (2010-04-01)."Lucille Lortel Nominees Announced".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 4 April 2010.Retrieved2010-04-02.
- ^Gans, Andrew (2010-05-03)."Drama Desk Award Nominations Announced; Ragtime and Scottsboro Top List".Playbill.Archived fromthe originalon 6 May 2010.Retrieved2010-05-04.
- ^Als, Hilton(2010-12-17)."The Best Performers of 2010".The New Yorker.Retrieved2011-02-07.
- ^Longman, Will (10 March 2017)."Exclusive: Casting announced for A Lie of the Mind at Southwark Playhouse".whatsonstage.com.Retrieved25 April2018.
- ^Maltby, Kate (11 May 2017)."Theatre: A Lie of the Mind at Southwark Playhouse, SE1".The Times.Retrieved25 April2018.