A Lie of the Mind IMG 1617 (45380665834)

''A Lie of the Mind'' is a play written by

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American actor, playwright, author, screenwriter, and director whose career spanned half a century. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any write ...

, first staged at the off-Broadway Promenade Theater on 5 December 1985. The play was directed by Shepard himself with stars

Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...

as Jake,

Amanda Plummer Amanda Michael Plummer (born March 23, 1957) is an American actress. She is known for her work on stage and for her roles in such films as ''Joe Versus the Volcano'' (1990), '' The Fisher King'' (1991), ''Pulp Fiction'' (1994), and '' The Hunge ...

as Beth,

Aidan Quinn Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an American actor who made his film debut in '' Reckless'' (1984). He has starred in over 80 feature films, including ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' (1985), '' The Mission'' (1986), ''Stakeout'' (1987), ''Aval ...

as Frankie, Geraldine Page as Lorraine, and

Will Patton William Rankin Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor and audiobook narrator. He starred as Colonel Dan Weaver in the TNT science fiction series '' Falling Skies''. He also appeared in the films ''Remember the Titans'', ''Armageddon'' ...

as Mike. The music was composed and played by the North Carolina bluegrass group the

Red Clay Ramblers The Red Clay Ramblers are a North Carolina-based band founded in Durham, North Carolina, performing continuously since their formation in 1972. The current touring band has been together since 1987, with Jack Herrick (trumpet, bass), Bland Simpson ...

. Some critics consider the play the conclusion of a quintet that includes Shepard's Family Trilogy: ''

Curse of the Starving Class ''Curse of the Starving Class'' is a play by Sam Shepard, considered the first of a series on family tragedies. Some critics consider it part of a Family Trilogy that includes '' Buried Child'' (1979) and '' True West'' (1980).Simard, Rodney. “A ...

'' (1976), ''

Buried Child ''Buried Child'' is a play written by Sam Shepard that was first presented in 1978. It won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and launched Shepard to national fame as a playwright. The play depicts the fragmentation of the American nuclear family ...

'' (1979), and '' True West'' (1980), plus '' Fool for Love'' (1983).Roudané, Matthew (2002). ''The Cambridge Companion to Sam Shepard.'' Cambridge University Press,

Plot synopsis

Told in three acts set in Montana and California, the story alternates between two families after a severe incident of spousal abuse leaves all their lives altered until the final collision at an isolated cabin. The two families are linked by the marriage of Jake (son of Lorraine and brother of Sally and Frankie) and Beth (daughter of Baylor and Meg and sister of Mike). The play begins with Beth recuperating in her parents' home after a hospitalization resulting from Jake's abuse. Exploring family dysfunction and the nature of love, the play follows Jake as he searches for meaning after his relationship with Beth and her family as they struggle with Beth's brain damage.

Production history

''A Lie of the Mind'' was first produced Off-Broadway at the Promenade Theatre on December 5, 1985, closing on June 1, 1986 after 186 performances. The cast was as follows: * Baylor -

James Gammon James Richard Gammon (April 20, 1940 – July 16, 2010) was an American actor, known for playing grizzled " good ol' boy" types in numerous films and television series. Gammon portrayed Lou Brown, the manager in the movies '' Major League'' and ...

* Jake -

* Lorraine - Geraldine Page * Mike -

* Beth -

* Frankie -

* Meg -

Ann Wedgeworth Elizabeth Ann Wedgeworth (January 21, 1934 – November 16, 2017) was an American character actress, known for her roles as Lana Shields in '' Three's Company'', Hilda Hensley in '' Sweet Dreams'', and Merleen Elldridge in ''Evening Shade''. She ...

* Sally - Karen Young

Revival

The first major Off-Broadway revival of ''A Lie of the Mind'' was staged by the New Group at the Acorn Theatre.

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...

directed the production with an ensemble cast featuring

Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor who has had success on stage, film, and television. He is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's film ''Nashville'', Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series '' Deadwood ...

(Baylor),

Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...

(Frankie),

Marin Ireland Marin Yvonne Ireland is an American actress. Known for her work in theatre and independent films, ''The New York Times'' deemed Ireland "one of the great drama queens of the New York stage". Her accolades include a Theatre World Award and nomina ...

(Beth),

Laurie Metcalf Laura Elizabeth Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress. Often described as a character actor, she's known for her complex and versitile roles across the stage and screen. She has received various accolades throughout her career sp ...

(Meg),

Alessandro Nivola Alessandro Antine Nivola (born June 28, 1972) is an American actor. He has been nominated for a Tony Award and an Independent Spirit Award and has won a Screen Actors Guild Award, a British Independent Film Award (BIFA), and the Best Actor Award ...

(Jake),

Maggie Siff Maggie Siff (born June 21, 1974) is an American actress. Her most notable television roles have included department store heiress Rachel Menken Katz on the AMC drama '' Mad Men'', Dr. Tara Knowles on the FX drama '' Sons of Anarchy'' for which ...

(Sally),

Frank Whaley Frank Joseph Whaley (born July 20, 1963) is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and comedian. His roles include Brett in ''Pulp Fiction'', Robby Krieger in ''The Doors'', young Archie "Moonlight" Graham in ''Field of Dreams'', and Guy ...

(Mike), and Karen Young (Lorraine; Sally in the 1985 production). The show began previews on January 29, 2010, with a limited engagement from February 18 to March 20, 2010. It was nominated for five

Lucille Lortel Awards The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres ...

including Outstanding Revival, and two

Drama Desk Awards The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

, including Outstanding Director of a Play. The cast was featured on ''The New Yorkers list of the Best Performers of 2010. A revival in the UK was staged at the Southwark Playhouse in 2017, receiving excellent notices including 5 Stars from ''The Times'' of London.

Awards and nominations

* 1986 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play * 1986 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play * 1986 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Play * 2010

for Outstanding Revival (nominee) * 2010 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Director of a Play, Ethan Hawke (nominee) * 2010 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Music in a Play, Gaines (nominee) * 2010 Obie Award Performance, Laurie Metcalf (winner)

References

External links

*
Review of the 1985 production
by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''
Review of the 2010 production
by ''

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Lie of the Mind, A 1985 plays Drama Desk Award-winning plays Off-Broadway plays New York Drama Critics' Circle Award winners Plays by Sam Shepard Western United States in fiction Plays set in the United States