A Lie of the Mind
| A Lie of the Mind | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Sam Shepard |
| Characters | Baylor Jake Lorraine Mike Beth Frankie Meg Sally |
| Date premiered | 5 December 1985 |
| Place premiered | Promenade Theater New York City, New York |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Two families torn apart by tragedy |
| Genre | Drama |
| IOBDB profile | |
A Lie of the Mind is a play written by Sam Shepard, first staged at the off-Broadway Promenade Theater on 5 December 1985. The play was directed by Shepard himself with stars Harvey Keitel as Jake, Amanda Plummer as Beth, Aidan Quinn as Frankie, Geraldine Page as Lorraine, and Will Patton as Mike. The music was composed and played by the North Carolina bluegrass group the Red Clay Ramblers.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
Told in three acts set in the gritty American West, 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, one composed of Baylor, Meg, Beth, and Mike, the other composed of Lorraine, Sally, Frankie, and Jake are connected by the marriage of Jake and Beth, whose beating and subsequent hospitalization at the hands of Jake initiates the beginning of the play. Exploring family dysfunction and the nature of love, the play follows Jake as he searches for meaning after Beth, and her family, as they struggle with Beth's brain damage.[1]
[edit] Production history
A Lie of the Mind was first produced at the Promenade Theatre in New York City on 5 December 1985. The cast was as follows:[2]
- Baylor - James Gammon
- Jake - Harvey Keitel
- Lorraine - Geraldine Page
- Mike - Will Patton
- Beth - Amanda Plummer
- Frankie - Aidan Quinn
- Meg - Ann Wedgeworth
- Sally - Karen Young
[edit] Revival
In winter 2010, the first major Off-Broadway revival of A Lie of the Mind was staged by the New Group at the Acorn Theatre.[3][4] Ethan Hawke directed the production with an ensemble cast featuring Keith Carradine (Baylor), Josh Hamilton (Frankie), Marin Ireland (Beth), Laurie Metcalf (Meg), Alessandro Nivola (Jake), Maggie Siff (Sally), Frank Whaley (Mike), and Karen Young (Lorraine; Sally in the 1985 production).[3][5] The show began previews on January 29, 2010, with limited engagement from February 18 to March 20, 2010.[4] It was nominated for five Lucille Lortel Awards including Outstanding Revival,[6] and two Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Director of a Play.[7] The cast was featured on The New Yorker's list of the Best Performers of 2010.[8]
[edit] Awards and nominations
- 1986 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
- 1986 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play
- 1986 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Play
- 2010 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Revival (nominee)
[edit] References
- ^ PJ Butler (2003-09-21). "A Lie of the Mind: Shattered Parts Are Swept Away". TheaterScene.net. http://www.theatrescene.net/ts%5Carticles.nsf/0/10078668B32A7AF885256DAA0008AF7D?OpenDocument. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ Gary M. Grant (2008). "A Lie of the Mind: Production notes". Bucknell University Theatre and Dance. http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/theatre_dance/Shepard/lie.html. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ a b Healy, Patrick (2010-01-27). "New Search for the Truth in ‘A Lie’". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/theater/31roundtable.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
- ^ a b Hernandez, Ernio (2010-01-29). "Carradine, Metcalf and Hamilton Lead Starry Cast of Shepard's Lie of the Mind Off-Broadway". Playbill. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/136391-Carradine-Metcalf-and-Hamilton-Lead-Starry-Cast-of-Shepards-Lie-of-the-Mind-Off-Broadway. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (2010-02-19). "Theatre Review - 'A Lie of the Mind' - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/theater/reviews/19lie.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
- ^ Healy, Patrick (2010-04-01). "Lucille Lortel Nominees Announced". The New York Times. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/lucille-lortel-nominees-announced/. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (2010-05-03). "Drama Desk Award Nominations Announced; Ragtime and Scottsboro Top List". Playbill. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/139212-Drama-Desk-Award-Nominations-Announced-Ragtime-and-Scottsboro-Top-List. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
- ^ Als, Hilton (2010-12-17). "The Best Performers of 2010". The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2010/12/hilton-als-performers.html. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
[edit] External links
- A Lie of the Mind at the Internet off-Broadway Database
- Review of the 1985 production by The New York Times
- Review of the 2010 production by The New York Times
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