Sibling Rivalry Erupts Like a Volcano

March 17-19, 24-26, 7:30 p.m., OffCenter Stage

— from Artha Kass —

Brothers–the good boy and the outlaw–square off in director Robert Hall’s (Miracle Worker) volatile and often funny production of Pulitzer Prize finalist Sam Shepard’s True West. Experience this play in the intimate setting of the OffCenter Stage March 17-19 and 24-26 at 7:30 pm. OffCenter productions sell out quickly so don’t wait to get your tickets.

Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly, John Malkovich and Gary Sinise have played the brothers in New York and London productions. On the OffCenter Stage, the brothers are played by Orcas Islanders Kelly Toombs and Kevin Doyle. Rounding out the all local cast is Aaimee Johnson (Orcas Center’s 2016 Bunny Award winner), Jim Shaffer-Bauck, Tom Fiscus, and Steve Henigson.

At its core, it is a sibling rivalry gone horribly wrong and horribly right. A young, ambitious screenwriter on the verge of his first big success is holed up in his mother’s Hollywood home. But the quiet is shattered by the unexpected arrival of his drifter brother, a petty thief fresh from the Mojave Desert.

The family dynamic erupts like an unpredictable volcano and brings chaos in its wake. “Soon ancient sibling scars are bleeding. One sees now that the play is a rambunctious and spontaneous tale about sibling rivalry and the cronyism of popular culture.” —New York Times

“When put into the hands of talented actors this play just blows an audience away,” says Hall. “If you ever feel like those old cartoons where an angel is on one of your shoulders and the devil is on the other, this is the play for you “ This is a play not just about selling American dreams, or even the collapse of the American dream, or the collapse of the American family. It’s about the intimate relationship between two brothers at odds with each other and ultimately themselves.

The playwright means to be playful, and the stage business – including the transformation of a spotless kitchen into a trash bin of beer cans and plastic crockery – is made to seem organic (though not biodegradable). “It’s clear, funny, and naturalistic. It’s also opaque, terrifying, and surrealistic. If that sounds contradictory, you’re on to one aspect of Shepard’s winning genius; the ability to make you think you’re watching one thing while at the same time he’s presenting another.” —San Francisco Chronicle

Tickets for True West are $ 17, $13 students, $2 off for Orcas Center members and may be purchased on the website or by calling 376-2281 ext 1 or visiting the Orcas Center box office during box office hours which are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 12- 2 pm. $5 Subsidized Tickets available at the Box Office. For more information about Orcas Center 2016 season events, please visit www.orcascenter.org.