If you go What: When: Where: Tickets: Box office: . Sam Shepard’s “True West” is a tense and haunting portrayal of sibling rivalry and the crumbling ideals of the American dream. Director Douglas Malcolm brings this complex drama to life for the Twin City Theatre Company, with a keen understanding of Shepard’s raw intensity.
The production, now running at Parkland College Theatre’s Second Stage, captures its chaotic energy, immersing the audience in a world where family ties unravel under the weight of long-buried resentments. “True West” tells the story of two estranged brothers — Austin, a seemingly successful screenwriter, and Lee, a drifter living on the fringes of society — who find themselves reunited in their mother’s suburban home. What begins as a tense but manageable reunion soon spirals into chaos as long-buried resentments come to the surface.
Shepard blurs the boundaries between the brothers, showing how they mirror each other’s insecurities and unfulfilled desires, ultimately questioning their own identities. Reece Griffin’s Austin serves as a controlled and composed counterpoint to Anthony DeGregorio’s wild and unpredictable Lee. The contrast between the two brothers is striking and highlights Shepard’s exploration of identity as fragile and fractured.
As the play progresses, the distinctions between Austin and Lee dissolve, reinforcing Shepard’s theme that they are two sides of the same person. Griffin and DeGregorio deliver solid.