How much is too much Sam Shepard? Nearly 25 years after its premiere, his "A Lie of the Mind" is, clocking in at three hours, a hell of a lot of the playwright. But while the decades have somewhat strained the play's shock value and Shepard freshness—albeit a wonderfully rancid take on fresh, even when new—a solid production still throws the audience a lot of powerful punches. And it certainly gives artists onstage juicy stuff to play with.
The story of twisted family ties and violent legacies, "A Lie of the Mind" begins after a particularly brutal event. Jake (Lance Kramer) has beaten his wife to death. Or so he thinks. As it turns out, Beth (a heartbreaking Natalie Avital) is alive, barely, but badly brain damaged. So the tale traces her "recovery," taking us sideways through skewed realities down a dark and often wickedly funny path. Kramer is suitably over-the-top as the hotheaded Jake, always boiling with rage. "He's an emotional boy," downplays his mother after his homecoming. As that fiercely adoring mother, a marvelous Casey Kramer—along with the excellent Maury Morgan and Logan Fahey as Jake's devoted siblings—completes one horrifying family portrait. Then there's Beth's loyal brother Mike (a convincing PJ Marshall), trying his best to save her from her own demons and that of dad and mom (John Combs and the mannequinlike Jennifer Toffel, both spot-on). Or is that really what's going on?
Director John Langs has a firm hand on the bruised and blood-soaked proceedings, even as they careen wildly from Southern California to Montana. Dwayne Burgess' chaotic set, Tim Labor's sound design, Jessica Olson's costumes, and Travis McHale's lighting help to give us the touchstones we need. But more than Langs' inspired staging is his work with actors here; their solid performances get more and more layered as strange truths are revealed. And it's fascinating that in this time around Shepard's man's world, he draws the women characters to cut much deeper. So even when the play gets belabored—and it does—it's worth sticking around for.
Presented by Studio Five Productions at Studio/Stage, 520 N. Western Ave., L.A. Nov. 12–Dec. 20. Thu.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m. (888) 534-6001. www.studiofiveproductions.org.