The Whitefish Theatre Company is thrilled to present 'True West' as the 2015-2016 season-opening theatre performance at the O'Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Drama, this savage and comic drama opens with a sneak preview night on October 8th at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue October 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17 at 7:30 p.m. and on October 11 at 4:00 p.m.

Well-educated Austin and thieving con man Lee, estranged brothers from different worlds, reunite in their mom's California kitchen, where Austin is working out a screenplay deal. But when pushy Lee interjects his own movie idea to Saul, a visiting Hollywood producer, the brothers find themselves forced to cooperate in the creation of a story that will make or break both their lives. Tensions rise as the roles of successful family man and nomadic drifter are somehow reversed and the siblings find that they might not be such opposites after all. 'True West', a dynamic play by iconic actor-writer Sam Shepard, is "clear, funny, naturalistic. It's also opaque, terrifying, surrealistic. If that sounds contradictory, you're on to one aspect of Shepard's winning genius." - San Francisco Chronicle

Director Scarlett Schindler has enjoyed the challenge of putting together this critically acclaimed play, a play that arguably has been called Sam Shepard's finest. "While the drama focuses on a knockdown, slugfest of a sibling rivalry, the slow burn of the play truly explores the dynamic of what it is like to admire and envy a sibling who represents a self you chose not to become," says Schindler. Both raucous and riotous, Schindler adds, "The brilliance of 'True West' is watching both brothers realize they are not as comfortable in their skin as they each pretend to be. As they each fight for an identity, they must wrestle with irresolvable conflicts between head and heart, cultivation and instinct, and sophistication and savagery."

The production features Corey Burke as Austin, David Reese as Lee, Patrick Studebaker as Saul, and Alicia Blake as Mom. "Corey and David are superb, veteran actors who are perfectly cast in their roles of Austin and Lee - the core of the play," says Schindler. "Bringing this show to fruition has been such a fluid and organic experience with each actor bringing something unique to the show. I am so impressed with the emotional level the cast is finding as they bring these characters to life."