True West--Where is the Subtle Tension?

By Joseph Cervelli

The moment you see the superbly nefarious Ethan Hawke standing in the shadows of a kitchen opening a beer can with one hand, you know what this guy is all about. It is unfortunate that Hawke is the only real reason to see the revival of Sam Shepard’s blistering “True West”  at the American Airlines Theater. Well, blistering does not apply to this production. It comes across mostly lukewarm. Where is the tension buildup that should be prevalent in the first act? If you had seen the Philip Seymour Hoffman/John C. Reilly production back in 2000 you will know exactly what I mean. One big problem is the venue that has been chosen for this production. It is too large. “West” is an intimate show and to gather the full effect of the interaction of both brothers (the other is played by a miscast Paul Dano) you need a smaller one. It would also help if the director here being James MacDonald could ensure the tenseness from the onset but missing in this production. MacDonald almost plays a lot of it for laughs. True, the show does have its amount of funny moments but the dark humor is not presented dark enough. And the way the brothers begin to transform their personalities so that one ultimately becomes more like the other is never fully realized.

The play starts normally enough with Austin (Dano) housesitting in the California desert for his mother (MaryLouise Burke) who is in Alaska. Burke makes her usual daffy appearance during the play’s final moments. Austin is working on a script  to present to a Hollywood producer Saul (Gary Wilmes.) He describes it to his brother Lee (Hawke) who suddenly appears from living in the desert as a kind of period piece. While writing Hawke keeps interrupting him about borrowing his car most likely to do some robberies which he does returning with a television set. When he does return Saul is there and Lee pitches his own story of a western to Saul who seems interested much to the consternation of Austin.   It’s hard to believe that Lee plays golf but convinces Saul to meet him on the course which results in Saul’s forgetting about Austin’s idea. The first act is a slow moving one which runs even slower since MacDonald fails to create an atmosphere of uneasiness will burst wide open in the second act. 

The second act is pure physical virtuosity on both actor’s parts. They practically destroy their mother’s home and each other. Although the quiet Austin now is in charge and practically kills Lee. 

Shepard includes dialogue about their father which seems to go nowhere thanks to almost monotone delivery by Dano. Even the hilarious moment where Austin steals an array of neighborhood toasters falls flat. Dano is an otherwise fine actor and a first rate director as marked by his debut venture “Wildlife.“ For some reason the role just does not click for him. You need to believe that both Austin and Lee are brothers but not for one moment does that ring true. The interchanging of personalities just is touched on the periphery where is should delve much more deeply as the second act develops.  

Mimi Lien who is a very fine set designer (“The Great Comet”) yet for some reason the stage is raised much too high which furthers removing any kind of intimacy. As presented you almost have the feeling you are watching a film instead of a play. 

“True West” is produced quite a bit for good reasons but in its current incarnation sinks. 

Tickets are available at the American Airlines Theater 227 West 42nd Street or by calling 211.719.1300.

PHOTOS: JOAN MARCUS