Ringgold Playhouse Hosts Final Weekend Of "True West"

The Ringgold Playhouse will hold the final four performances of Sam Shepard's "True West" Thursday through Saturday.

After a big opening weekend, the show garnered praise from the local theatre community for its crisply executed tale of a feud between two brothers, said officials.

"Our audiences have really appreciated how realistic the show is with all its twists and turns," said TRP Executive Director Adam Cook, who pulls double duty portraying the show's elder brother. "It's intense and kind of dark, but it also has a lot of humor in it. It's interesting when you have material that can creep you out a little, and then have you belly-laughing a couple of moments later." 

Director Joanna Lewis credits the writing of the late Mr. Shepard with creating a story so compelling. 

"Sam Shepard has brilliantly illustrated the dark humor, complexities, and the dichotomous themes of the American family," Ms. Lewis said. "He addresses the rivalry paired with fondness, the bonds and estrangement, and the hilarious yet dark dysfunction of it all." 

Review for "True West":

The story showcases the clash between an up-and-coming writer Austin (Jonathan Harris), and his older brother Lee (Cook), a criminal drifter, who arrives uninvited and tries to swindle Austin's screenwriting deal out from under him by schmoozing big time Hollywood producer Saul (Steve Jordan). The story's action takes place in the California home of the duo's mother played by Julia Wyant.

"The brothers are tied to their roots and their equal upbringing, and yet both struggle to escape it," Ms. Lewis said. "They fight against each other to have their individual stories heard, yet the story that needs to be heard and is inevitably told, is really about them and their relationship. That's because the stories that engage us are not those that are contrived, but stories that are 'true to life'." 

Ms. Lewis believes the story has a little something for everyone, and that audiences will connect with themes in the show. 

"I feel that every individual has experienced some level of familial brokenness in their life, and that is what this play speaks to," she said. "It also addresses the fight within ourselves to tear off our labels, whether based on our past/upbringing or our own self-inflicted and confined identities."

Remaining performances will be Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with a special matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. 

Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 for seniors and students, and can be purchased in person at Ringgold City Hall, over the phone at 706-935-3061, or online at CityOfRinggoldGa.gov.