A Lie of the Mind

‘A Lie of the Mind’ was written by Sam Shepard lll at the age of forty, and the play was first produced a couple of years later off-Broadway in December 1985. Now it is presented by the Blak Yak Theatre at the Old Mill Theatre Mends Street, South Perth until the 9^th July. The two and three quarter hour (including two fifteen minute intervals) performances start at 8.00 pm.

 

          We listen in to the conversation between two brothers. Jake (David Boyer) in a desperate panic, has called home to tell his brother, Frankie (Ben Kotovski-Steele), that he as just beaten his wife, Beth (Michelle Berg) to a pulp and killed her. Frankie collects Jake and brings him home; a home that is run by a warped and domineering, widowed mother, Lorraine (Marsha Holt) who looks upon Jake as her favourite little ten-year-old and so still mollycoddles him.
         Unknown to Jake his wife survived the beating, and is now in hospital 500 miles away in Montana. Beth’s brother, Mike (Alex Jones) visits her infirmary ward only to find that she has regressed to the mentality of a young child, speaking in broken confused sentences.
         Jake seems distraught at what he has done and spends all day in bed. He is visited by his sister, Sally (Julia Hern), with whom he shares a secret. She find her brother a total wreck and completely paranoid.
         Back in Montana, Beth’s parents – her bullying, useless father, Baylor (Alan Kennedy) and her nervous, unloved mother, Meg (Joy Northover), who is definitely a victim of country village inbreeding - aren’t too sure whether to go into the ward and see their daughter, or just go for a coffee!
         Will there be reconciliation? Is there any love within these two dysfunctional families?

 

It seems that today, most theatregoers just want chewing gum for the mind. Something ‘nice’ that doesn’t take too much brainpower and certainly not unpleasant, so after a tiring day I too hesitated as to whether to see this play or just watch another episode of ‘QI’. Yes this drama is serious, tragic, and one of the longest plays that I have seen in some time, but I am so glad that I did not miss it.

Matt Longman’s direction is brilliant and the time just flew past. Not for one second did my mind wander. The performances were all well above average, with each beautifully perceived character getting their own few minutes on the stage. I was totally engrossed. The pulsating dialogue was mixed with some hilarious black humour throughout.

Even though everyone had the same, constant American accent, perfect pace and delivery, I must give a special mention to Shell Berg and David Bowyer for making the play come alive and turning the evening in the theatre into something special.

A genuine, blunt look at two families’ lives and their loves, by a team of dazzling theatre professionals. Terrific is an understatement.