Iconic American playwright Sam Shepard’s True West comes to the stage from September 6 to 14 at Woodbin Theatre.
A tale of sibling rivalry and the complexities of masculinity, True West is set in California’s Mojave Desert and tells the story of brothers Austin and Lee and their often volatile relationship.
Local theatre veteran Derek Ingles and actor Jules Hart seized on an opening Geelong Repertory’s roster to put together the production, which also includes Geelong actors Calvin Langley, Todd J Curtis and Sue Rawkins.
Inglis, who is a committee member at Geelong Rep and also secretary of Geelong Lyric Theatre, said he and Hart had “all their ducks in a row” when the opportunity arose to put on the play at the Woodbin.
“Jules had put a marketing plan, an ideal cast, all that stuff together; we had it up our sleeve, basically,” Inglis said.
“And when the venue was free I turned around to him and said let’s put that together. So we applied for the rights and here we are.”
True West, which premiered in 1980 in San Francisco, has a storied history. The two lead roles have been performed by luminaries including Tommy Lee Jones, Bob Hoskins, John Malkovich, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Kit Harrington and Ethan Hawke.
A dark and gritty offering, True West explores family dynamics, identity and the true nature of America’s mythical West.
Ingles said to his knowledge the work had never been performed in Geelong and he was thrilled to present such a “brilliant play” to local audiences.
“The dialogue and the story itself speak volumes, and there will be questions,” he said.
“You will go home thinking, what have I just seen? How did that happen? Why did that happen? I know Geelong audiences will love it.”
Visit geelongartscentre.org.au/whats-on/all-events for tickets and more information.
