Presented by White Horse Theater Company at The American Theatre of Actors—Sargent Theatre, 314 W. 54 St., 4th Fl., NYC, Sept. 12-28.
Playwright Sam Shepard revisited some of his favorite themes in his 1985 drama "A Lie of the Mind." Presented in its first major New York revival by the White Horse Theater Company, the play touches on brotherly discord, self-involved parents, crippled lost souls, and revealing personality reversals.
Two households, both alike in dysfunction in fair Montana, provide the split-stage setting for this fractured love story. A jealous husband loses control and sends his actress wife to intensive care; physically and emotionally scarred, they each return to their childhood homes and oblivious families. What follows is a series of awkward reunions, unresolved arguments, painful accusations, and assorted gunshots. Whether or not any of these can bring the relations closer together or break them apart is a constant question not easily predicted.
Director Cyndy A. Marion has mined the comic undercurrent of Shepard's dialogue to good effect, allowing audiences to laugh at life's absurdities while at the same time pondering its more serious ramifications. Tensions are continuously built and broken, a testament to Shepard's written rhythms and Marion's expert staging.
While the show has a long running time, each scene offers both involving situations and potent acting. Rod Sweitzer and Jessica Baron portray the mismatched central spouses with raw vulnerability. As the two maternal figures, Sylvia Norman's Lorraine is as plucky and perceptive as Ellen Barry's Meg is unassuming and insightful—both actresses movingly tap into the highs and lows of motherhood. Joe MacDougall, Bill Dobbins, and Kara Tsiaperas offer earnest support as various concerned siblings. Particularly memorable is Ken Trammell as the disagreeable dad who can't do one damn thing for himself.
Niluka Samarasekera offers an evocatively painted set, and Heekyung Ann lights it admirably. Music and sound design by Kevin Paul Giordano accompanies key dramatic moments with subtle intensity. Debra Siegel's costumes fit the mid-'80s milieu.