A Lie of the Mind

The New Group's current production is A Lie of the Mind directed by Ethan Hawke.  The play was written by Sam Shepard in 1986. 

Ethan Hawke is part of the actors in NYC who are interested in using their talents to find intriguing, thought provoking work.  Not only is the production incredibly well directed, the performances are pretty stellar. 

The play is long 2 1/2 hours.  The acting was incredible, that alone pulls you in but when the play ended, I wish I had known what exactly Shepard was trying to tell us.  So, I did a little research on the net today.  Certainly cerebral with many underlying symbols.  Worth reading what the play is about before going.  The scenery sets the tone.  The walls of the stage set are lined with lamps, desks, windows, layers of clutter.  Conceptually, the clutter in your brain. 

A Lie of the Mind is a story of 2 families who begin to unravel even more after a violent incident between a husband and wife, the only connection between these 2 families.  Each spouse returns to their family for support.  The wife is brain-damaged and the husband has so much angry baggage that has been internalized and long forgotten in his mind.  Neither of these families have traditional family structures although they might think they do.  We see how everyone's role changes as they begin to unravel.  In essence, the characters each explore lies inside their mind or what lies inside their mind.

I was looking for some closure as the play wound down but found absolutely none.  Not sure there is closure but more continuation of complete dysfunctional world where one family remains and the other one just flees.

Regardless of all the intensity of the play, the acting is fantastic, almost riveting.  Also, when we left, Channing Tatum was walking in to probably hang with his buds and that was worth the ticket.  He is so incredibly good looking that it is easy to see that even without his talents why he should be on the big screen.