The Tale That is True to Real Life: True West at Princeton Summer Theater

by Talia Walters

The second you walk into this theater, your first instinct is to wonder how powerful and bold a production can truly be given the smaller size of the theater. The amazing team behind this production instantly proves that size does not matter. True West, written by Sam Shepard and directed by Wasif Sami, is currently playing at the Hamilton Murray Theater located on the beautiful Princeton University campus. It follows the story of two brothers, Austin (played by Jordan Rashdan) and Lee (played by Joe McLean), as they struggle to get along while staying in their mother’s house during the duration of her vacation in Alaska. 

As soon as the play starts, the dynamic and tension between Austin and Lee is made very clear. We see that Austin is very composed and focused, while Lee is very unserious and obviously intoxicated. Austin is hard at work on an outline for a film, getting ready to show it to a producer named Saul Kimmer (played by Jacob Schorsch) that he has been discussing with for months. Lee has no consideration for his brother’s concentration and tries to use his brother’s irritation as leverage to borrow his car. Austin stands his ground until the next day when he gives in so that his meeting with Saul Kimmer can go smoothly. However, during this meeting, Lee comes home and immediately interrupts. He pitches his idea for a real western screenplay to Saul and to Austin’s surprise, Saul sounds interested. The rest of the play follows the brothers being torn apart because of their competing screenplays and the resentment between the two when Austin’s screenplay idea gets dropped to make way for Lee’s. The play contains moments with flashing lights, loud noises, heavy alcohol usage, intense language, and violence. I feel that all of these moments work very well with this piece and overall help to move the storyline.

It’s hard to know where to begin when discussing these brilliant actors. Jordan Rashdan’s Austin is amazing because of the different levels and sides we see to Austin that may be very different and contrasting, yet still make so much sense for the character. During the first act and even into act two, we see Austin as a composed and hardworking person. As act two progresses we see a brief switch where Austin and Lee have almost completely swapped personalities. We see Austin very intoxicated but we see Lee very focused and hard at work. The switch for Joe McLean’s Lee is equally as impressive as well as his very convincing anger and aggression. Towards the end of act two, seeing both characters start to lose their composure and patience for one another feels very real because of how well the two show the gradual build up of emotions. Their body language becomes much more tense and aggressive even while they are still getting along. In addition to the brothers, Jacob Schorsch’s Saul Kimmer is a really strong antagonistic character. His portrayal really stirs the pot which makes the build up of tension between the brothers make so much sense. At the end of act two, the brothers completely make a mess of the house and before they can even think about cleaning up, their mom (played by Shaelin McKenna) comes home. Even though she does not have much stage time, McKenna stands out to me because of her amazing diction and articulation. Her voice is very clear at all times and that is very rare in today's society. Overall I think that the entire cast is so talented and are absolutely made for their roles.

The set for True West (designed by Jeff Van Velsor, with Pearl Agel as the scenic artist, and built by Audrey Wang, Henry Sacks, and Hawthorne Warren) at a first glance looks like what you would expect of a 1980’s styled set. When the show begins, however, the amount of detail is obvious. The cabinets are stocked with plates and the drawers are stocked with silverware. At the end of act two we also see a change in the set which is completely unexpected. The set splits to reveal a bunch of lights which add a very intense atmosphere to the final moments of the play. The split in the middle of the set is so well hidden that it adds so much more realism. The lighting (designed by Florencia Curchitser and operated by Len Dos Santos Barreto) is perfectly designed to really make the set feel like a home. When the two brothers are messing up the house, the flashing lights really keep the audience on their toes and makes it impossible to really understand what is happening until it also sets in with the brothers. The costumes (designed by Didi Vekri) feel very accurate to the period of the show and look great with the context of the lighting and set designs. Finally, the sound and music (designed by Naveen Bhatia with/ operated by Changhai Cordle) is really fun even with the themes of the show. I love that he includes some familiar songs during scene changes but even more that they feel very appropriately placed. Wasif Sami’s direction of this production is absolutely perfect. Everything from the staging and blocking to the clear vision and themes makes this show so powerful and entertaining. In addition, the Fight Director (Darren Kinzler) adds so much realism when dealing with the intense moments of violence throughout the show. Of course none of the amazing elements that we see would be possible without the amazing Technical Director (Jeff Van Velsor) and Assistant Technical Director (Jason Orbe). Along with all of the directors, the Stage Manager (Lizzie Voronin) and Assistant Stage Manager (Brooke Kemmer), as well as the run crew (Arya Martin and Oliver Rapaka) do a great job making sure that the show is running smoothly on and off stage.

As someone who is definitely more in favor of musicals, this show never feels boring or that it is dragging on which is something I feel with most plays. I would without a doubt recommend True West, especially to those who enjoy shows with high stakes and rarely ever a dull moment. You can see True West for one more weekend; July 30th and 31st at 7:30pm and August 1st at 2:00pm and 7:30pm! You can purchase your tickets at https://www.princetonsummertheater.org/tickets .